Lenn W. Zuhlke, Bank Robbery, Nebraska 2023

Bancroft Man Sentenced for Bank Robbery and Firearms Charges

A 56-year-old man from Bancroft, Nebraska, has been sentenced for his involvement in a brazen bank robbery.

Lenn W. Zuhlke, age 56, was sentenced to 17 months imprisonment and 2 years supervised release for aiding and abetting a bank robbery at the First Bank of Bancroft.

On April 20, 2017, Zuhlke drove Jeffrey Bonneau to pick up an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) that Bonneau had previously stolen. While in Zuhlke's vehicle, Bonneau changed his clothes and covered his face. Zuhlke knew Bonneau was going to rob a bank.

At approximately 5:35 p.m., Jeffrey Bonneau rode the stolen ATV to the First Bank of Bancroft and parked it on the sidewalk. He was wearing a dark motorcycle helmet, camouflage clothing, and gloves. He entered the bank and demanded $6,745.00 from the teller, which he then fled the bank on the ATV. He was tracked to a wooded grove near 2345 R Road.

Bonneau was arrested after he crashed the ATV and was taken to Pender Hospital, where it was found he had methamphetamine in his system. The money was recovered, but there was no evidence he used or possessed a gun during the bank robbery.

Bonneau previously pled guilty to the robbery and possession of a firearm by a user of a controlled substance. He received a 30-month sentence for both charges and was ordered to serve them both at the same time.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bancroft Police, Cuming County Sheriff's Office, and Nebraska State Patrol.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ne/pr/bancroft-man-sentenced-bank-robbery-and-firearms-charges-0