Stockton Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery

OAKLAND—A Stockton, California man pleaded guilty in federal court in Oakland yesterday to six bank robberies, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

In pleading guilty, Jeremy Morton admitted to forcibly taking: $2,054 from the Bank of the West located at 1969 Diamond Boulevard in Concord, California, on February 16, 2012; $9,037 from the Bank of the West located at 7810 Thornton Road in Stockton, on February 24, 2012; $7,791 from the Bank of the West located at 5555 North Pershing Avenue in Stockton on March 6, 2012; $1,379 from the Bank of the West located at 3400 Lakeshore Drive in Oakland, California, on March 12, 2012; $800 from the Citibank located at 15041 Farnsworth Street in San Leandro, California, on March 24, 2012; and $4,850 from the Chase Bank located at 1702 North Vasco Road in Livermore, California, on March 26, 2012.

Morton, 22 of Stockton, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 5, 2012, for three bank robberies. On November 16, 2012, a superseding information was filed charging him with an additional three bank robberies, totaling six counts of bank robbery all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). Under the plea agreement, Morton pled guilty to all six counts.

The sentencing of Morton is scheduled for February 4, 2013, before Chief Judge Claudia Wilken in Oakland. The maximum statutory penalty for each count in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) is 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Rodney Villazor is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of a investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Concord, Stockton, Oakland, San Leandro, and Livermore police departments.