Des Moines Man Sentenced to 58 Years for Robberies of 3 Financial Institutions Using a Firearm
DES MOINES, IA - On January 30, 2009, Michael Carlos Cooper Wiest, age 20, of Des Moines, Iowa was sentenced by United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey to a total of 58 years in federal prison after a conviction by a jury on December 14, 2007, announced United States Attorney Matthew G. Whitaker. After serving his sentence, Wiest will be on supervised release for a period of five years. Wiest has also be ordered to pay an assessment of $600 to the Crime Victim Fund, and restitution to the financial institutions in the amount of $29,805.00.
Wiest was arrested on December 28, 2006, in Sheldon, Iowa, by the Sheldon Police Chief and officers, acting on information provided by detectives of the Des Moines Police Department and FBI Agents. Wiest was convicted by a jury on December 14, 2007, for the robberies of the Affinity Credit Union on December 18, 2006, Liberty Bank on December 20, 2006 and Financial Plus Credit Union on December 22, 2006. All three financial institutions are located in the Des Moines, area. In each of the robberies, the defendant used a firearm.
This case was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Iowa. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Des Moines Police Department, and the Sheldon Police Department.