Bandit Bryan Allen Hill, 31, faced the music in U.S. District Court in Seattle today, sentenced to over eight years for his brazen bank heist at gunpoint in White Center’s Chase Bank branch last year.
Hill’s ruthless act of terrorizing bank customers and staff was met with a heavy hand by U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. Hill was convicted of armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence after a jury trial in January 2013. The judge, Ricardo S. Martinez, didn’t mince words: “This is a very, very serious offense… basically terrorizing the individuals in the bank.”
Records and trial testimony paint a picture of Hill’s chilling behavior as he entered the bank, a blue bandana over his face, brandishing a handgun and demanding cash. His escape was thwarted by swift police action after bank workers alerted authorities. Hill was nabbed mere blocks from the scene, with the weapon and stolen cash in hand.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide effort to reduce gun crime, played a pivotal role in Hill’s prosecution. The PSN program, implemented locally in King County, fosters partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies like the Seattle Police Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs and Assistant United States Attorney Ehren Reynolds led the prosecution. Hobbs, a Senior King County Deputy Prosecutor, is a designated federal court gun case prosecutor.
This sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the PSN program’s commitment to cracking down on gun crime and protecting communities like White Center from such lawless acts.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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