Las Vegas, Nev. – A man who robbed seven banks in the Las Vegas area during 2005 and 2006, has been sentenced to over 20 years in federal prison, announced Greg Brower, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.

Falasha Ali, 41, of Las Vegas, was sentenced on October 2, 2008, by U.S. District Judge Roger L. Hunt to 244 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $20,326 in restitution. He pleaded guilty in May 2008 to Armed Bank Robbery, Bank Robbery, and Using a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.

According to the court records,

• On September 10, 2005, Ali robbed the U.S. Bank at 9801 West Charleston. Ali entered the bank, demanded money from the tellers, and stated that he had a gun;
• On February 3, 2006, Ali robbed the Town and Country Bank at 8620 West Tropicana. Ali entered the bank, demanded money from the tellers, and stated that he had a gun;
• On February 17, 2006, Ali robbed the Silver State Bank at 5547 South Rainbow. Ali entered the bank and demanded money while brandishing a handgun at the bank tellers;
• On March 6, 2006, Ali robbed the Town and Country Bank at 6355 South Rainbow. Ali entered the bank and demanded money while brandishing a handgun at the bank tellers;
• On March 15, 2006, Ali robbed the Washington Mutual Bank at 2165 East Windmill. Ali entered the bank, brandished a 9mm handgun at the tellers, demanded money, and fired a single round into the ceiling;
• On March 15, 2006, Ali attempted to rob the Silver State Bank at 691 North Valle Verde, in Henderson, Nevada. Ali entered the bank, brandished a 9mm handgun, demanded money, and fired a single round into the ceiling. Employees told Ali that the bank was merely a loan processing branch and that it did not have money. Ali then left the bank;
• On March 18, 2006, Ali robbed the U.S. Bank at 9004 West Sahara. Ali entered the bank, stated it was a robbery, and brandished a 9mm handgun at the tellers. As Ali exited the bank, he fired a single round into the floor;
• On April 8, 2006, Ali robbed the Colonial Bank at 4640 South Fort Apache. Ali entered the bank armed with a 9mm handgun, and demanded money while brandishing the firearm at the bank tellers. Ali fled in a black Ford Excursion, and was arrested shortly thereafter by law enforcement officers who tracked a signal emitted from a device that was given to Ali along with the stolen money.

Ali has an extensive criminal history that includes felony convictions in California and New Mexico for grand theft auto, distribution of a controlled substance, forgery, fraud, battery on a peace officer, escape from a police officer, and perjury. Ali also has a history of using multiple dates of birth and social security numbers.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the Henderson Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amber M. Craig.

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