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Bank Robber’s Luck Runs Out
A 48-year-old Houston man has been convicted of robbing two local banks and attempting to rob another, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Henry Lee London Jr. was found guilty on all counts by a federal jury sitting in Houston after a three-day trial.
The jury heard testimony from 10 witnesses, including three who knew London well from his personal life and were able to identify him in all of the robberies. Videos and photos from each of the robberies were also shown to the jury. London escaped from the Leidel Sanction Center on Commerce Street in Houston on March 20, 2014, where he was serving the remainder of a federal sentence.
Shortly after his escape, a man wearing the same clothing robbed the BBVA Compass bank on 43rd Street in Houston. The robber handed a teller a demand note that read “This is a robbery give large bills.” Four days later, a man wearing the same clothing and plain blue baseball hat attempted to rob an IBC bank on Katy Freeway in Houston, but was unsuccessful.
Less than an hour later, the same man wearing the same clothes and plain blue baseball hat robbed the Comerica Bank on Highway 6 South in Houston. London’s defense did not dispute the fact that he escaped from the halfway house, but contended that he was not the robber.
U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon presided over the trial and has set sentencing for August 12, 2016. At that time, London faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the bank robbery and attempted bank robbery convictions. He also faces another five years of imprisonment for the escape.
London will remain in custody pending that hearing. The FBI Bank Robbery Task Force, which included the U.S. Marshals Service, sheriff’s offices in Harris and Fort Bend Counties, and the Houston Police Department, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennie Basile and Jill Stotts are prosecuting the case.
London’s conviction is a major blow to the community, which has been plagued by a series of bank robberies in recent years. The conviction is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the investigators and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to bring London to justice.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Violent Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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