Jonathan L. Thompson Gets 22 Years for 9 Bank Robberies

Jonathan L. Thompson, 31, of Madison, Wisconsin, is headed to federal prison for 22 years after being sentenced on nine counts of aiding and abetting bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge William M. Conley handed down the sentence today, calling Thompson the mastermind behind a violent, two-month spree that terrorized banks across Dane County.

The scheme unfolded between January 8 and February 22, 2018, targeting branches in Madison, Middleton, Sun Prairie, and Fitchburg. Thompson didn’t enter the banks himself—he stayed in the driver’s seat, plotting the hits and waiting to speed away with the loot. Inside, accomplices Robert Minette and Kiefah Marbra brandished a firearm, demanded cash, and followed Thompson’s blueprint for chaos. Minette took part in the first two robberies; Marbra, just a teenager, was thrust into the next eight.

Thompson, convicted after a three-day jury trial on January 30, 2019, didn’t just coordinate—he profited. Each robbery ended at his apartment, where he divided the stolen money like a crime boss cutting a payroll. Judge Conley emphasized Thompson’s role as the leader and organizer, condemning his decision to exploit his own nephew, Marbra, as the frontman. “Cynically calculated,” Conley called it, noting Thompson showed no remorse for endangering a child.

Marbra and Minette have already faced justice. On January 15, 2019, both pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Marbra admitted to involvement in eight bank robberies and was sentenced to 11 years on April 16. Minette, tied to the first two robberies, got nine years on March 28. But prosecutors made clear: Thompson was the architect. Without him, the spree never happens.

The investigation was a full-scale law enforcement blitz. The FBI led the charge, backed by the Madison, Middleton, Sun Prairie, and Fitchburg police departments, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, and assistance from the Dane County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corey Stephan and Daniel Graber prosecuted the case, weaving together surveillance, testimony, and forensic evidence to dismantle the crew.

This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative to crush violent crime. By targeting gun use in robberies and strengthening federal-state coordination, PSN aims to dismantle criminal networks before they escalate. In Thompson’s case, it resulted in a 22-year fall from crime to concrete walls.