District Man Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Prison for 2012 Bank Robbery in Northeast Washington
Defendant Arrested Shortly After the Crime

WASHINGTON—John Morris, 64, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of nine years and seven months on a charge of bank robbery while armed, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen, Jr.; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Morris entered a plea of nolo contendere in April 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Under a nolo contendere plea, a defendant is convicted of the offense, accepts responsibility, and agrees that the government could prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. However, the defendant in such a plea does not admit to the facts of the case. The Honorable Richard W. Roberts sentenced Morris today. Upon completion of his prison term, Morris will be placed on five years of supervised release.

According to the government’s evidence, just before noon on March 22, 2012, Morris walked into a TD Bank in the 1200 block of First Street NE. He was wearing a black jacket, black pants, black shoes, sunglasses, and a cap. He demanded money from two bank tellers, claiming that he had a bomb. The tellers turned over about $3,700. Morris left a bag behind, which he claimed had the bomb, and warned that he could remotely control its detonation.

Two officers with the Metropolitan Police Department were in the area at the time of the robbery, and they quickly spotted Morris across the street from the bank. A third MPD officer arrived on the scene, and Morris told him, “Yeah, I did it. It’s rough out here.” Morris, who at the time of his arrest was wearing a black jacket, black pants, black shoes, sunglasses, and a cap, also could be seen clearly on video surveillance photographs of the robbery.

The stolen money was recovered after the robbery. Morris’ bomb threat led to an emergency response that included the evacuation of the bank and the block surrounding the bank. The bag left inside the bank contained an alarm clock.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Chief Lanier thanked those who investigated the case from the MPD and FBI’s Washington Field Office, including the FBI/MPD Violent Crimes Task Force. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Stephanie Brooker, former chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Paralegal Specialist Jeannette Litz. Finally, they expressed appreciation to Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine K. Connelly, who prosecuted the matter.