Career Offender Pleads Guilty To Bank Robbery Spree

SAN JOSE, Calif. – James Kellems pleaded guilty today to robbing two banks in Campbell and one in Capitola between October 25, 2010, and November 12, 2010, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag.

Kellems, 54, pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). Specifically, Kellems admitted that on October 25, 2010, he robbed the Bank of America branch located in the Pruneyard, Campbell, of $3,020.00; on October 30, 2010, he robbed the Bank of the West branch at 3820 Capitola Road, Capitola, of $5,400.00; and on November 12, 2010, he robbed First Bank, 790 East Campbell Avenue, Campbell of $720.00, after threatening a female teller with use of a gun.

Kellems’ sentencing hearing is set for December 5, 2013, in front of The Honorable D. Lowell Jensen, U.S. District Court Judge. As a career offender with multiple prior bank robbery convictions, Kellems’ faces up to 20 years imprisonment on each count. However, any sentence following conviction will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas O’Connell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Edwards are prosecuting the case with the assistance of legal tech Tracey Andersen. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Campbell Police Department, and the Capitola Police Department.