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Defendant Admits to Armed Bank Robberies in Athens and Marietta
COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a shocking turn of events, William E. Johnson, a 58-year-old man from Lancaster, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to armed bank robberies in Athens and Marietta in 2020. According to court documents, Johnson’s plea agreement includes an agreed-upon sentence of over 13 years in federal prison.
Johnson’s reign of terror began on August 17, 2020, when he brandished a firearm at the Hocking Valley Bank on East State Street in Athens. Donning a prosthetic forehead and nose, skin-toned arm sleeves/gloves, makeup, and a COVID mask, Johnson ordered employees to get on the floor and then emptied several drawers of cash. In total, he took more than $25,000. After stealing the cash, he tied the employees’ hands with zip ties and ordered the bank manager to give him the keys to the bank manager’s car, which the manager complied with. Johnson then fled the bank in the stolen vehicle.
The second armed robbery took place on October 22, 2020, at the Citizens Bank on North Second Street in Marietta. Johnson wore a full-length Halloween-style mask that made him appear to be an old man and wore a red hood pulled up around his face. Johnson possessed a gun and forced his way behind the tellers’ counter, emptying several drawers and stealing $11,390.
At the time of the Marietta bank robbery, Johnson had a warrant out for his arrest for a pending indictment for a bank robbery in Williamstown, West Virginia. Law enforcement officers spotted Johnson driving in West Virginia on the evening of the Marietta bank robbery and pulled him over. Johnson attempted to flee on foot, telling officers they would have to kill him to take him into custody again. Officers tased Johnson and placed him under arrest.
Upon searching Johnson’s vehicle, officers located more than $9,000 in cash, a loaded handgun, zip ties, and his disguises. The guilty plea was accepted on April 27 by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
Johnson’s conviction marks the end of a lengthy and complex investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Athens, Marietta, Williamstown, W.Va., and Parkersburg, W.Va. police departments, Washington County and Wood County, W.Va. sheriff’s offices, and the West Virginia State Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Noah R. Litton and S. Courter Shimeall. Johnson’s sentence is a stark reminder of the consequences of committing armed bank robberies and the tireless efforts of law enforcement agencies to bring perpetrators to justice.
Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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