20 Year Prison Sentence For Serial Bank Robber

ATHENS, Ga. – A serial bank robber who went on a crime spree within weeks after being released from a federal prison was sentenced to 20 years in prison for bank robbery, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.

Frank Douglas, 61, of South Carolina, was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison on Monday, August 24 by U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal after pleading guilty to one count of bank robbery. Douglas was released from a federal prison on September 29, 2017 after serving a ten year sentence for bank robbery. Shortly after his release, Douglas robbed three banks in November and December 2017 in Georgia and South Carolina. Douglas’ sentencing was based on the robbery of the Bank of America in Athens, Georgia. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Royal ordered Douglas pay Bank of America $6,700 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Violent crimes will not be tolerated in our communities, and we will do our part to hold violent criminals accountable. This serial bank robber has continually demonstrated he is unable to abide by the basic laws that govern our society, and he is facing a stiff sentence as a result,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “I want to thank the FBI and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department for their work investigating this case and providing a measure of justice to the hardworking bank employees and customers who this defendant has terrorized.”

"Ten years in federal prison was apparently not a teaching moment for Douglas because within weeks of being released, he went right back to his bank robbing ways," said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "Thanks to the assistance of our partners with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, he'll have 20 more years to think about what he'll do the next time he is released from prison.”

Douglas admitted that he robbed three banks in 2017 while he was on federal supervised release, having served ten years in federal prison after confessing to robbing five banks. Douglas, wearing a stocking cap and glasses, entered the Bank of America in Athens on December 5, 2017. He passed the teller a note that read, “ALL LARGE BILLS I HAVE A GUN I WILL SHOOT.” No witnesses saw a gun, but Douglas repeatedly told the teller he had one and would shoot her. He escaped with $6,702.00 in cash. Douglas also admitted to robbing the BB&T bank in Conyers, Georgia on November 20, 2017 and the South State Bank in North Augusta, South Carolina on November 27, 2017. Douglas was taken into custody on December 12, 2017 in Greenville County, South Carolina.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Easterling and Tamara Jarrett prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.