Sexton & Kettells: 70 Years for Seattle Bank Heists

SEATTLE, WA – Two men with a combined half-century of criminal history are off the streets after receiving a brutal 70-year sentence today for a series of brazen bank robberies that terrorized the Seattle area. JACK P. SEXTON, 66, and RONALD C. KETTELLS, 65, were convicted in March 2013 of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, three counts of armed bank robbery, and using a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.

U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik didn’t mince words at sentencing, calling the pair’s rap sheets “remarkable in its length and depth.” The robberies, spanning August to October 2011, were characterized by escalating threats and aggressive tactics. The first hit was a Key Bank branch on Holman Road in North Seattle on August 8th. Witnesses testified the duo brandished a handgun, demanding tellers lie down or face death. They made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Their audacity only increased. On September 12th, they targeted a Wells Fargo in Shoreline, this time sporting bizarre disguises – one an elderly man mask, the other a disturbing replica of former President Richard Nixon. Armed with a pistol grip shotgun and a handgun, they continued their reign of terror. But the most shocking display came October 20th at a Washington Federal Bank in West Seattle. One robber wore a Hillary Clinton mask, the other the same “elderly man” disguise. During the robbery, an elderly female customer was forcibly thrown to the ground by one of the robbers, sustaining injuries.

The break in the case came from a sharp-eyed neighbor who spotted the getaway car’s license plate during one of the robberies. That plate led investigators to Sexton, and through him, to Kettells. A search of their vehicles and residence yielded a treasure trove of evidence: the bags used in the robberies, four firearms – including the weapons used during the heists – and the masks themselves, all bearing DNA linking them to the crimes. Both men were recently released from prior prison sentences, highlighting a revolving door of justice that failed to keep them contained.

Prosecutors slammed the duo’s behavior in a court filing, stating the crimes were “recklessly violent and directly endangered the lives of numerous victims and responding officers.” They detailed instances of the robbers aggressively brandishing firearms, shouting threats, banging guns on desks, racking shotguns, and even waving a gun with a finger on the trigger inches from a teller’s face. The sheer disregard for human life was a central component of the sentencing.

The pair were ordered to pay $29,628 in restitution. The investigation was a joint effort by the FBI’s Seattle Safe Streets Task Force, including investigators from the Seattle Police Department and the King County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Friedman and Francis Franze-Nakamura prosecuted the case. Seattle can breathe a little easier knowing these two are locked up – for a long, long time.