Last Updated on: 28th July 2023, 07:23 pm

Federal Bank Robbery Law State and Why You Need To Hire a Federal Bank Robbery Lawyer

Bank robberies are considered to be among the most serious crimes that attract severe penalties. The Federal Bureau of Investigations investigates bank robberies, and if you are culpable, then the punishment would be a long sentence, life imprisonment or even a death penalty. A bank robbery happens when someone with intent descends upon a bank and violently or non-violently stealing money and other property from the premises.

Despite having installed surveillance systems, alarms, and automatic lock safes, bank robberies continue being rampant throughout U.S towns and cities. Reports by the Department of Justice suggest that there were more than 4000 bank robberies reported in 2014 alone.

Types of Banks Covered Under This Law

A federal prosecutor may bring the charges of bank robbery if one was caught stealing from a bank, a credit union or a saving and loan association. Banks are members of a Federal Reserve System that comprises of banking associations, savings banks, trust companies, foreign banks agencies and deposit institutions that have been insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

For a credit union to be protected by the federal bank robbery laws, it needs to have been first insured by the National Credit Union Administration Board. In the same vein, the Loans and Savings institutions need to be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to be protected by these laws.

What Bank Robbery Laws Say and Charges

These laws are much harsher than those for ordinary robbery. This is because bank institutions are federal institutions and not private property like a store or other establishments. This, therefore, qualifies to rob a bank as a federal crime; thus the culprit earns a federal charge and punishment. Penalties for robbing a bank would be longer and heftier than the sentences for other robberies.

Also noteworthy is that you do not have to be in possession of a weapon to be charged for bank robbery. Simple things like passing a note to the bank’s teller, forcefully demanding for money is tantamount to a bank robbery, prosecutable by the federal government.

Charges of Bank Robberies

These laws are covered on the US Penal Code; Title 18 Section 2113. Bank robberies are of multiple types. The specifics and severity of charges will be determined by the method of robbery used, weapons used, and the amount of money stolen. Here are some of the things you ought to understand about bank robbery crimes.

1. Anyone who enters a building that is in part or in whole used as a bank, with the intention of forcibly getting away with money, commits a crime that affects the banking institution will face a harsh fine of 20 years imprisonment.
2. Instances where the bank robbery places the life of another person in danger or involves assault, e.g., threatening a person’s life, use of a weapon, or toy weapon, a more severe fine of up to 25 years imprisonment may be added.
3. Accomplices, e.g., people who handle, conceal or accept properties stolen from a bank are also culpable, for them a jail term of 10 years behind bars is applicable.
4. Bank robberies that involve the perpetrator killing a person or their abductors usually have a dire consequence. The perpetrator may face life imprisonment and at times, a death sentence.
5. If you are convicted of bank robbery involving stealing from an armored bank truck or compromising a bank messenger, compromising a night depository or tampering with an ATM, you will face the same fines and imprisonment as those for robbing a bank.

As you have seen above, bank robbery charges are severe, and if you are accused, then there is no way you can go about the trials alone. You need to hire an experienced federal bank lawyer. A federal bank robbery lawyer will describe the nature of your charges and try to negotiate a plea deal or bargain that favors you. Hiring federal bank robbery lawyers at this time is advantageous as they will assist you to learn your rights, defense, and also learn about the complicated legal system.

Sources

http://www.federalreserve.gov/

http://www.fdic.gov/