RENO - - A man who robbed two banks in the Reno area last October was sentenced today to over 15 years in prison, announced Greg Brower, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.

Jason Knoles, 42, of Reno, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian Sandoval to 188 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Knoles pleaded guilty on December 11, 2008, to two counts of bank robbery for robbing the Wells Fargo Bank at 400 North McCarran Boulevard on October 23, 2008, and the US Bank at 301 Vassar Street in Reno on October 27, 2008.

Knoles has seven prior felony convictions, including two prior federal convictions in Nevada for bank robbery, and one prior federal conviction in Nevada for escape from a halfway house. He was on supervised release for the prior federal convictions when he robbed the banks in October 2008.

The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald C. Rachow.

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