Hawkins Sentenced

A brazen bank heist in Sioux City, Iowa, has landed 27-year-old Johnnie Hawkins in federal prison for 90 months. Hawkins, a prior convict with a 2004 burglary charge, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery on March 27, 2013.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea and sentencing, Hawkins had been involved in trafficking and distributing marijuana in and around Sioux City during the fall of 2012. In a disturbing escalation of his criminal activities, Hawkins knowingly obtained a stolen Colt Defender .40 caliber, semi-automatic handgun and ammunition on or about November 8, 2012.

On November 10, 2012, Hawkins used the stolen handgun to rob the Heritage Bank at 4530 Singing Hills Boulevard in Sioux City, making off with $5,954.00. The robbery was marked by violence and intimidation, as Hawkins brandished the loaded handgun, threatened, and physically restrained a bank teller.

The sentencing, which took place on July 8, 2013, was handed down by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett in Sioux City. In addition to the 90-month prison term, Hawkins was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and serve a 3-year term of supervised release after his imprisonment. He was also ordered to make $5,954 in restitution to Heritage Bank.

Hawkins is currently being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison to begin serving his sentence. The case was investigated by officers of the Sioux City Police Department and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with prosecution handled by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

Court documents related to the case are available online, with the case file number CR 12-4116. The sentence marks a significant victory for law enforcement in the fight against violent crime in Iowa. As Hawkins begins his 90-month sentence, the community can take comfort in knowing that justice has been served.