Vincent L. Fields Gets 15 Years for Armed Bank Rampage

A 50-year-old Tacoma man unleashed a six-week reign of terror across Washington state, robbing multiple banks at gunpoint before being caught red-handed in Renton. Vincent L. Fields, already under federal supervision for a 2012 drug conviction, was sentenced on February 26, 2018 in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release for armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge James L. Robart.

FIELDS kicked off his violent spree on February 15, 2017, by robbing a Wells Fargo branch in Tacoma. Just six days later, he hit a Key Bank in University Place. He struck again on March 7, hitting another Wells Fargo in University Place, then attempted a robbery at a different Wells Fargo on March 9. Each time, he used threats and intimidation to walk away with cash—until March 22, when the system finally closed in.

On that final day, FIELDS walked into a Renton bank wielding a distinctive submachine-style gun, pointed it at a teller, and demanded money. But the teller fought back with brains—not force—slipping a GPS tracking device into the cash. Within hours, law enforcement located FIELDS at a stoplight in Renton. When officers moved in, he gunned the engine, drove the wrong way down traffic lanes, and slammed into another vehicle.

He fled on foot, but it was over. Police tackled and arrested FIELDS moments later. The stolen cash and the intimidating firearm were recovered at the scene. The GPS device proved decisive—turning a high-risk manhunt into a swift takedown. Federal prosecutors charged him with armed bank robbery and use of a firearm in a crime of violence, both carrying steep mandatory minimums.

Despite his age, FIELDS has spent most of his life cycling through the justice system. He was still on federal supervision from a 2012 conviction for crack cocaine trafficking. His criminal record stretches back to 1995, when he was convicted in state court of second-degree murder and possession of cocaine with intent to deliver. This latest spree wasn’t desperation—it was a violent pattern reasserting itself.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Renton Police Department, a collaboration that ensured no loose ends. Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi prosecuted the case, pushing for maximum accountability. U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes confirmed the outcome, stating that armed attacks on financial institutions won’t be tolerated—especially when the perpetrator is already on supervision for prior federal crimes.