David M. Baney, 35, of Machesney Park, is headed to federal prison for 12 years after robbing a bank and a convenience store at gunpoint in January 2018. The violent spree unfolded in broad daylight, terrorizing employees and customers before Baney vanished with over $24,000 in cash. On Monday, U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. handed down the sentence for the dual armed robberies.
Baney pleaded guilty on Jan. 6, 2020, to robbing Chase Bank at 7997 N. Alpine Rd. in Loves Park and Kelley’s Market/Mobil Gas Station at 8200 N. Second St. in Machesney Park—both on Jan. 11, 2018. Federal prosecutors tied him directly to both crimes through surveillance footage, witness testimony, and his own admissions in a written plea agreement.
At Chase Bank, Baney walked in wearing a mask and approached tellers behind the counter. He demanded cash from two employees while brandishing a firearm, which he pointed at both a bank worker and a customer during the heist. He escaped with $24,402. The weapon used was real, escalating the charges under federal law for use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Later that same day, Baney entered Kelley’s Market/Mobil Gas Station and brandished an object that appeared to be a firearm. He ordered the clerk to hand over cash, which the employee complied with under threat. Baney fled with an undisclosed amount of money from the store, completing a two-hit criminal blitz in a single morning.
As part of the sentence, Baney was ordered to pay $24,732.80 in restitution. The coordinated investigation was led by the FBI’s Rockford Area Violent Gang Task Force, which includes agents from the FBI, Rockford Police Department, Loves Park Police Department, Freeport Police Department, and officers from the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department.
The sentencing was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, alongside top law enforcement officials including FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr., Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana, Rockford Police Chief Dan O’Shea, and Loves Park Police Chief Chuck Lynde. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Love prosecuted the case, sealing Baney’s fate with no room for appeal to leniency.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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