Second Great Western Bank Robber Sentenced

United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Darrius Mason, 19, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 13, 2012, to 57 months in prison by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard, for his involvement in the March 17, 2012 bank robbery of the Great Western Bank, Havelock branch in Lincoln, Nebraska. Following service of his federal prison sentence, Mason will be required to serve an additional three years of supervised release. Also, as part of his sentence, Judge Gerrard directed that Mason be provided the opportunity to complete his GED or vocational training program, complete a victim awareness program as directed by the probation officer, enroll in a 500 hour intensive drug and alcohol treatment program, and pay restitution of $11,319.00.

Defendant Darrius Mason and seven others were arrested and charged in state and federal court with the bank robbery and related charges. Cleophus Collier, the organizer of the robbery, was sentenced on Friday, November 9, 2012, to serve 156 months (13 years) in federal prison for his involvement in the robbery. The third federal defendant, Larry Mason, who was charged with being an accessory after the fact, is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Gerrard on Monday, December 3, 2012.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lincoln Police Department.