Virginia Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Six Armed Bank Robberies

RICHMOND, VA—Jaquan C. Douglas, 20, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to obstruct, delay, and affect commerce by robbery; aiding and abetting credit union robbery; discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence for his role in six separate armed bank robberies occurring in multiple Virginia jurisdictions.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Nancy G. Parr, City of Chesapeake Commonwealth Attorney; Wiliam W. Davenport, Chesterfield County Commonwealth; Lyndia P. Ramsey, Sussex County Commonwealth Attorney; and Harvey L. Bryant, City of Virginia Beach Commonwealth Attorney, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson.

Douglas was charged on August 26, 2013, in a criminal information with conspiracy to obstruct, delay, and affect commerce by robbery; aiding and abetting credit union robbery; discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Douglas faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment when he is sentenced on December 13, 2013.

In a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Douglas admitted to participating in six armed bank robberies in Virginia, including the April 19, 2012 robbery of the BB&T Bank located in Wakefield, Virginia; the April 23, 2012 robbery of the Bank of Southside Virginia located in Stony Creek, Virginia; the June 1 and July 10, 2012 robberies of the Chartway Federal Credit Union located in Virginia Beach, Virginia; the August 22, 2012 robbery of the Central Virginia Bank located in Midlothian, Virginia; and October 2, 2012 robbery of the ABNB Federal Credit Union located in Chesapeake, Virginia. During the April 23, 2012 robbery of the Bank of Southside Virginia in Stony Creek, Douglas discharged his firearm while fleeing the scene of the bank.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the City of Chesapeake Police Department, the Chesterfield County Police Department, the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Virginia Beach Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Siebert is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.