Tommy Ray McAdoo, Bank Robbery, Nevada 2016

A career criminal walked into a bank in Reno, Nevada and demanded cash, threatening the teller with a steak knife.

On November 9, 2016, Tommy Ray McAdoo, 77, entered a Nevada State Bank and handed a teller a demand note for money while holding a steak knife in his hand. The bank teller complied, giving McAdoo four ‘bait bills’ and an electronic tracker. He stole approximately $2,731.

Law enforcement found discarded clothing and items that matched the video surveillance taken during the robbery. One of the items found was the demand note that was written on a casino sports betting sheet. McAdoo was identified as a suspect and found at a nearby casino, where he admitted to robbing the bank.

McAdoo has a history of bank robberies. In 1981, he was convicted of two counts of armed bank robbery in Bakersfield, California, and two counts of bank robbery in Las Vegas. He was again convicted of bank robbery in 1990 in Seattle.

The case was investigated by the FBI and Reno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Rachow prosecuted the case.

On Tuesday, McAdoo was sentenced to 188 months in prison for the bank robbery. U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones presided over the sentencing hearing.

McAdoo pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery with the use of a dangerous weapon on April 17, 2017. The sentence reflects his history of violent crime and the threat he posed to the bank teller and other customers.

McAdoo’s sentence is a reminder that career criminals will be held accountable for their actions. The FBI and local law enforcement will continue to work together to bring justice to victims of bank robbery.