Cleveland Heights Bank Robber Gets 30 Years

CLEVELAND, OH – Kevin Walcott, a 40-year-old resident of Cleveland Heights, will spend the next three decades behind bars after being sentenced to 30 years in prison for a brazen string of bank robberies that terrorized the East Side of Cleveland in 2012. The sentence was handed down following Walcott’s guilty plea to seven counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery, as announced by United States Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.

Walcott’s month-long spree netted him approximately $13,000, stolen from banks across multiple municipalities. The robberies, meticulously documented in court records, began on October 26th and continued through November 15th, leaving telltale signs of fear and disruption in their wake. Authorities say Walcott’s actions weren’t simply about the money; they were a reckless endangerment of bank employees and customers.

The string of robberies included the following locations and amounts: Dollar Bank (University Heights, $2,470); Ohio Savings Bank (Cleveland Heights, $690); PNC Bank (Cleveland, $2,194); Citizens Bank (Lyndhurst, $1,021); Key Bank (Cleveland, $3,660); Huntington Bank (Cleveland, $800, and again in Shaker Heights, $2,069). On November 21st, Walcott attempted to rob a PNC Bank in Shaker Heights but was apprehended shortly after.

What sealed Walcott’s fate wasn’t just the sheer number of robberies, but the chilling threat contained within a handwritten note discovered by Shaker Heights police upon his arrest. The note, a direct threat to bank tellers and potential witnesses, read, in part: “I have a Gun and a Police Radio If I SEE Police or hear the ALARM you Die First If I don’t make it out you Die First Give me all your 100.00 Both Drawer’s 50.00 20.00 I sEE Bait MonEY 10.00 you Die.” This blatant disregard for human life painted a grim picture of Walcott’s intent.

“This defendant robbed more than a half-dozen banks during a month-long spree,” stated Dettelbach. “Each of these incidents put people at risk.” Anthony echoed this sentiment, praising the collaborative effort that brought Walcott to justice. “The valuable partnership between the public, local law enforcement and the FBI helped put a stop to this string of bank robberies. The FBI commends the attentive citizens that assisted in bringing Kevin Walcott to justice.”

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Sweeney and Phillip J. Tripi, with crucial investigative work provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the dedicated officers of the Shaker Heights Police Department. Walcott’s 30-year sentence serves as a stark warning to would-be criminals that such brazen acts of violence and theft will not be tolerated in Northern Ohio.