Luis de la Garza, Bank Robbery, Texas 2013

Crime Pays Off for Bank Robber

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas - Luis de la Garza, 59, of Farmers Branch, Texas, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez and pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging five counts of bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

According to plea papers filed, de la Garza not only admits committing the five below-listed bank robberies, he stipulates that he committed an additional 13 bank robberies and an additional two attempted bank robberies in the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex between April 2010 and May 2013.

The five bank robberies committed by de la Garza were:

March 18, 2013 - Chase Bank, 6300 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, Texas

April 5, 2013 - Grand Prairie State Bank, 2317 South Belt Line Rd., Grand Prairie, Texas

April 22, 2013 - Wells Fargo Bank, 13297 Josey Lane, Farmers Branch, Texas

April 29, 2013 - Capital One Bank, 200 North Mesquite Street, Suite 121, Arlington, Texas

May 15, 2013 - Chase Bank, 111 South Garland Ave., Suite 150, Garland, Texas

In each of these five bank robberies, de la Garza wore long-sleeved clothing, a mesh mask, cap and gloves to disguise his identity, and in each robbery he brandished and used a BB pistol. In each of the robberies, the tellers were in fear for their lives.

During the last robbery, on May 15, 2013, a bank customer grabbed de la Garza’s pistol and struck him in the head. While a struggle then ensued between de la Garza and a bank employee, de la Garza broke free and fled from the bank, leaving behind his pistol, which Garland Police Department determined was a CO2 BB gun.

De la Garza faces a maximum statutory penalty of 25 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the five counts of conviction. In addition, according to the terms of his plea, he will pay a total of $145,947 in restitution.

Sentencing is set for February 27, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Dallas Police Department, Grand Prairie Police Department, Farmers Branch Police Department, Arlington Police Department, Garland Police Department, Carrollton Police Department, Addison Police Department, Lewisville Police Department and Plano Police Department.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/farmers-branch-man-pleads-guilty-bank-robbery-charges