A Houston man has been sentenced to 162 months in federal prison for his role in a brazen bank robbery in Pearland, Texas. Anthony Michael Shaffer, 30, was found guilty of bank robbery and brandishing a weapon during the crime.
On December 11, 2013, Shaffer walked into the Woodforest National Bank inside a Pearland Walmart, where he approached a teller and handed them a note demanding ‘loose billz.’ The teller testified that Shaffer used and brandished a 9 MM Smith and Wesson pistol during the course of the robbery.
Two bank tellers testified against Shaffer, describing the harrowing experience of being threatened at gunpoint. Other witnesses also identified Shaffer as the robber, and law enforcement officers obtained video footage of the robbery from both Walmart and Woodforest National Bank.
Shaffer’s fingerprints were found on the demand note, and investigators were able to piece together the evidence to build a strong case against him. A jury found Shaffer guilty in just under an hour of deliberation on October 15, 2014.
In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. considered written statements from the victim and upwardly departed from the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The judge noted that Shaffer had committed these crimes just a short time after serving a 10-year sentence in state court for aggravated bank robbery.
As part of his sentence, Shaffer must pay restitution and a $1,000 fine, and serve a five-year term of supervised release following his completion of the prison term. Shaffer will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Pearland Police Department, and Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Searle and Douglas Davis prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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