LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles County man was sentenced Monday to five years behind bars for robbing three banks during a six-day crime spree while on supervised release for previous bank robbery convictions.
Rickey Lewis, 54, of Willowbrook, pleaded guilty last year to three counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
In January 2019, Lewis stole a total of $4,035 in cash by robbing two JPMorgan Chase bank branches in Gardena and an International City Bank branch in Long Beach. Lewis also attempted to rob a Bank of America branch in Downey.
During the robberies, Lewis threatened to shoot bank tellers — though it was not apparent that he was carrying a firearm — and had clear tape on his fingers. In fear for their lives, the bank tellers handed over the cash, court papers show.
According to an affidavit filed in Los Angeles federal court with a criminal complaint, law enforcement recovered a partial palm print from the Long Beach bank robbery that matched Lewis’ palm print.
While he committed the bank robbery spree, Lewis was on supervised release for bank robbery convictions he sustained after he pleaded guilty in February 2006 to a month-long spree in which he robbed six banks in South Los Angeles and Inglewood.
Along with the prison term, U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder ordered Lewis to repay a total of $4,035 to the banks he robbed, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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