Portland Man Sentenced in Connection with Four Bank Robberies
18-Year Prison Sentence Imposed
| U.S. Attorney's Office May 12, 2011 |
PORTLAND, OR—Travis Lee Oles, 36, of Portland, Oregon, was sentenced by Senior District Court Judge Robert E. Jones today to 216 months (18 years) following his pleas of guilty to four counts of armed bank robbery.
Oles planned the robberies and drove the getaway vehicle after his accomplice, Alexey Perez-Hernandez, robbed the banks while armed with a handgun. Oles, who had no previous criminal history, was operating two pizza franchises which were not profitable during this period of time. Oles is also charged with five similar robberies in Clark County, Washington, and it is anticipated that he will be pleading guilty to those in the near future. Oles was sentenced for the following Portland Metro robberies, which totaled $24,976.41:
(1) August 7, 2009 - Columbia State Bank, NE Halsey Street;
(2) August 19, 2009 - Riverview Community Bank, NE Halsey Street;
(3) August 26, 2009 - Riverview Community Bank, NE Halsey Street;
(4) September 8, 2009 - Albina Community Bank, NE Sandy Blvd.
During the sentencing hearing, a bank officer told the judge that she felt the bank robbery of her branch was the "ultimate betrayal" because Oles was a trusted customer of the bank.
The co-defendant, Alexey Perez-Hernandez, is scheduled for a jury trial on July 5, 2011. These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vancouver Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Weinhouse.