Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to Wells Fargo Bank Robbery with Firearm

Robert O’Dell Neihart, 44, of Ignacio, Colo., has pleaded guilty to robbing a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Farmington, N.M., on September 21, 2012. The crime was committed with a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, as confirmed during his plea hearing this morning in federal court in Las Cruces.

Neihart was initially charged with armed robbery and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Co-defendant Denise Myrick, also 44 and from Ignacio, Colo., faced aiding and abetting charges. Neihart’s trial was delayed due to competency proceedings.

The court heard that on the day of the heist, Neihart handed a teller a letter demanding money, while possessing the firearm. He admitted shooting at police vehicles in pursuit. The defendant was apprehended later that day at his Colorado residence.

Neihart remains in federal custody pending sentencing, which is yet to be scheduled. Myrick, who pled guilty to aiding and abetting a bank robbery in December 2013, received three years of probation.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Albuquerque and Farmington offices, alongside local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Pflugrath is handling the prosecution.

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