Lester Padilla, Bank Robberies, New Mexico 2019

Bank robberies plagued the Española and Santa Fe areas in 2019, leaving residents on edge. Now, one man is facing the music for his crimes.

Lester Padilla, 48, was sentenced in federal court on June 8 to 12 years and 7 months in prison for robbing three Wells Fargo Bank locations in Española and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Padilla pleaded to an indictment on Sept. 24, 2020. The crimes themselves took place in September 2019.

According to an indictment and other court records, on September 9, 2019, Padilla entered a Wells Fargo Bank in Española and handed a teller a demand note that read, “Give me your loose cash or I’ll shoot you.” The teller handed money from the cash drawers and Padilla left the bank.

Padilla walked to a nearby convenience store and solicited a ride. He was on the move, but his crimes would soon catch up with him.

On September 24, 2019, Padilla entered a Wells Fargo Bank in Santa Fe and handed a demand note to a teller. The teller gave Padilla money and Padilla fled the bank. On September 26, 2019, the FBI received a tip that Padilla had entered a pizza restaurant in Santa Fe and paper and requested a pen to write a note.

Padilla then left the restaurant and walked to a third Wells Fargo Bank, where he once again handed a teller a demand note stating, “Give me the money or I will shoot you.”

Upon his release from prison, Padilla will be subject to three years of supervised release.

The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Española Police Department and the Santa Fe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez prosecuted the case.

With this sentence, justice has been served in the case of Lester Padilla. His crimes will not be forgotten, and he will face the consequences for his actions.

The people of New Mexico can rest a little easier knowing that Padilla will be behind bars for the next 12 years and 7 months.

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