Stockton Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Serial Bank Robbery

FRESNO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Michael Minjarez, 40, of Stockton, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Oliver W. Wanger to life in prison without the possibility of parole for armed bank robbery.

On April 22, 2011, a jury found Minjarez guilty of three counts of armed bank robbery, one count of armed credit union robbery, and one count of credit union robbery. Due to prior state convictions for manslaughter and robbery, Minjarez received the life sentence pursuant to the federal “three strikes” law.

The evidence at trial showed that Minjarez was responsible for five robberies that occurred at four locations throughout the Central Valley. On August 28, 2009, Minjarez robbed two tellers at the Central State Credit Union in Stockton. On September 3, 2009, Minjarez entered the Guaranty Bank in Stockton and robbed a teller there. He robbed the United Security Bank in Fresno at gunpoint on two separate occasions: September 25, 2009 and September 28, 2009. Finally, the evidence showed that Minjarez was responsible for the armed robbery of the Valley First Credit Union in Madera on October 5, 2009.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Stockton Police Department, the Madera Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Elana S. Landau and Yasin Mohammad prosecuted the case.