David Johnson Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank Robbery, Detroit MI, 2018

A Waterford man has pleaded guilty to bank robbery and weapons offenses in a federal court in Detroit. David Johnson, 54, is facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the bank robbery offense and not less than 10 years’ imprisonment for utilizing a short-barreled shotgun during the robberies.

The crimes occurred in June 2018, when Johnson and an accomplice walked into the Dearborn Federal Savings Bank at 4111 Telegraph Road and announced a robbery. Johnson’s accomplice pointed a short-barreled shotgun at the tellers as Johnson demanded money. However, the two men were unable to access the teller area and left the bank empty-handed.

The duo then fled the scene in a car driven by Johnson’s wife and co-defendant. They attempted to rob the Citizens Bank at 23455 Eureka Road in Taylor, where Johnson and his accomplice walked in with the shotgun and announced a robbery. Over $4,000 was stolen from the Taylor bank, but the money was immediately thrown from the getaway car’s window after red dye packs placed in the bags by tellers exploded while they were driving down Eureka Road.

Johnson’s wife compared herself and her spouse to ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ after her arrest. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dearborn Heights Police Department, and Taylor Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara Lanning and Tara Hindelang.

Johnson faces a sentencing hearing on May 4, 2023. U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison stated, ‘Armed bank robbery places the lives of bank employees and customers at risk. We will continue to remove violent actors who endanger public safety from our community.’

James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, added, ‘Violent criminals who use guns during bank robberies deprive employees of their right to feel safe and secure in their workplaces.’

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