A brazen bank robbery that left a trail of fear in the small town of American Falls has ended with a 13-year prison sentence for the perpetrator.
On September 1, 2023, Steven James Parker, 50, who has lived in Gooding, Mountain Home, and Boise, entered the Bank of Commerce in American Falls, holding a handgun. He charged toward the first teller’s station and pointed a gun directly at the tellers’ faces, ordering them to fill a grocery bag with money. The tellers complied, and Parker left the bank, stating ‘I’ll be back,’ on his way out.
Police arrived at the bank and located photos of the robber from cameras in the bank and from nearby businesses, as well as photos of the robber’s truck. The photos were circulated on social media, and a tipster identified the robber as Parker. Police went to Parker’s residence in Mountain Home and to his friend’s residence in Boise, where they obtained search warrants and located the gun and Parker’s truck used in the robbery. They also found some of the bank money taken in the robbery.
The 13-year sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill is a combined sentence of six years for the bank robbery and a consecutive seven-year sentence for the use of the gun in the commission of the bank robbery, for a total sentence of 13 years. Judge Winmill also ordered Parker to pay restitution to the bank of $11,106 and to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Parker pleaded guilty to the crimes on January 24, 2024.
Parker has three prior convictions for bank robbery, including a 2002 federal conviction and two other state court bank robbery convictions. Parker had been out on parole from state custody for only about five months when he committed the bank robbery in American Falls.
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the American Falls Police Department, the Power County Sheriff’s Office, the Power County Prosecuting Attorney’s office, the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Blackfoot Police Department, the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, and the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Haycock prosecuted the case.
Key Facts
- State: Idaho
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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