United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

ABILENE BANK ROBBERS SENTENCED

Defendants Robbed State National Bank in Abilene, Texas

LUBBOCK, Texas — Two Abilene, Texas, men, Fernando Landeros, Jr. and Frank Lopez Leija, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to federal prison for robbing the State National Bank in Abilene in January, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Judge Cummings sentenced Landeros, 38, to 78 months (six and one-half years) and Leija, 49, to 71 months (nearly six years) in federal prison. Each pled guilty to one count of bank robbery.

On January 30, Landeros entered State National Bank, 6301 Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses. With the hood pulled over his head, Landeros approached one of the tellers and placed a brown paper bag and a note on the counter. Landeros then told the teller that she had two minutes to give him the money, “and hurry.”

Landeros then grabbed the brown paper bag with the money from the teller and fled in a silver Ford Focus driven by co-defendant Leija. Abilene Police officers located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop, during which Landeros fled and Leija surrendered with a bundle of bank money in his hand. Landeros was later arrested at his girlfriend’s residence.

Each have pending state charges for separate incidents of aggravated robbery out of Jones and Taylor County, Texas. Judge Cummings ordered that their federal sentences be served consecutively with any sentence imposed in those cases.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Abilene Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody L. Skipper prosecuted the case.

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