Repeat Offender Douglas Gets 20 Years for Bank Heists

ATHENS, Ga. – Frank Douglas, 61, is headed back to federal prison for two decades after a brazen crime spree immediately following his release from a ten-year stretch for the same offense. Douglas was sentenced Monday, August 24, to 240 months for bank robbery by U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal.

The career criminal, originally from South Carolina, wasted no time returning to his old habits. Just weeks after being released on September 29, 2017, Douglas robbed banks in Georgia and South Carolina during November and December of that year. The sentencing stems from the December 5, 2017, robbery of a Bank of America branch in Athens, Georgia, though Douglas confessed to hitting three banks total while on supervised release. He’ll be required to pay $6,700 in restitution to Bank of America. Forget parole – there isn’t any in the federal system.

“Violent crimes will not be tolerated in our communities, and we will do our part to hold violent criminals accountable,” declared U.S. Attorney Charles “Charlie” Peeler. “This serial bank robber has continually demonstrated he is unable to abide by the basic laws that govern our society, and he is facing a stiff sentence as a result.” Peeler also lauded the collaborative effort of the FBI and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department in bringing Douglas to justice.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker didn’t mince words. “Ten years in federal prison was apparently not a teaching moment for Douglas because within weeks of being released, he went right back to his bank robbing ways,” Hacker stated. “Thanks to the assistance of our partners with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, he’ll have 20 more years to think about what he’ll do the next time he is released from prison.”

According to court documents, Douglas entered the Bank of America in Athens wearing a stocking cap and glasses. He slid a note to the teller demanding “ALL LARGE BILLS” and threatening, “I HAVE A GUN I WILL SHOOT.” Though no weapon was visibly displayed, Douglas repeatedly insisted he was armed. He made off with $6,702.00 in cash. He also confessed to robbing a BB&T bank in Conyers, Georgia, on November 20, 2017, and a South State Bank in North Augusta, South Carolina, on November 27, 2017. Douglas was apprehended on December 12, 2017, in Greenville County, South Carolina.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Easterling and Tamara Jarrett prosecuted the case. Anyone with questions can contact Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603, or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362. Douglas’s rap sheet proves one thing: some offenders just can’t stay out of trouble, and the system is finally responding with a sentence that reflects the danger he poses.

RELATED: Springfield’s Keyshaun Jackson Gets 15 Years for Nightclub Gunfire

RELATED: Rico Wilbert Gets 17 Years for Fueling Child Porn Ring