Ceres Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Four Bank Robberies
| U.S. Attorney’s Office April 29, 2013 |
FRESNO, CA—U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Michael Torres, 34, of Ceres, today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for four counts of armed bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. Torres was also ordered to pay $113,500 in restitution.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Modesto Police Department, and the Turlock Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Melanie L. Alsworth, Yasin Mohammad, and Dawrence W. Rice prosecuted the case.
According to court documents, in January 2013, Torres pleaded guilty to robbing the following banks:
- U.S. Bank, 3501 Tully Road, Modesto, on May 27, 2010;
- RaboBank, 2190 West Monte Vista Avenue, Turlock, on September 23, 2010;
- Oak Valley Community Bank, 2001 Geer Road, Turlock, on January 28, 2011; and
- Farmers and Merchants Bank, 1700 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, on May 27, 2011.
During each of the four robberies, Torres wore a hat, sunglasses, and bandage on his left cheek and carried a backpack. He would enter each bank, brandish a firearm, corral the employees, and flee with cash.