Woman arrested following 2 area bank robberies

After two bank robberies over the span of about eight weeks, federal officials and police have detained a young woman from another part of Illinois. The woman is now facing federal charges In the Southern District of Illinois, a federal judicial district which includes Belleville.

The bank robberies happened in two communities less than an hour’s drive from the Belleville area. In both cases, witnesses described the robbery suspect as a white female. The witnesses said the woman wore hoodie and sunglasses when robbing the bank. According to authorities, additional charges may be pending against the woman.

Especially in light of strict sentencing guidelines and unique rules and procedures, federal charges are serious affairs and require a strong criminal defense. Based on these charges, this woman now faces the possibility of years in federal prison.

As with any criminal charge, however, these accusations against the woman must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt unless the woman chooses to enter a plea of guilty after negotiating with prosecutors, a move that could still spell prison time for the woman. With respect to proving the charges, authorities will have to prove it was indeed the woman and not someone else who robbed the bank by way of example.

Robbery charges, whether they involve state courts of Illinois or the federal system, are serious matters and are usually felonies. They can leave a person in jail for a long time. Additionally, strict probation, fines, restitution and dealing with the stigma of a felony conviction are all real possibilities. A Belleville resident facing these charges usually will benefit from a coordinated and strong criminal defense.

Source: Belleville News-Democrat, “Woman charged after allegedly robbing two local banks in two months,” Feb. 13, 2017