Serial Bank Robber Pleads Guilty To Robberies Throughout Northern California

SAN FRANCISCO – Gregory A. Vaughan pleaded guilty today in federal court to multiple counts of bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.  The plea was accepted by the Honorable William H. Orrick, U.S. District Judge.

In pleading guilty Vaughan, 51, of Daly City, Calif., admitted he robbed five Bay Area banks between March 15, 2018, and April 6, 2018.  Specifically, Vaughan pleaded guilty to charges that he committed robberies of banks on the dates and at the places as follows: 

• $3,080 from Bank of America in San Jose, California, on March 15, 2018
• $3,400 from Wells Fargo Bank in San Mateo, California, on March 17, 2018
• $700 from California Bank & Trust in San Mateo, California, on March 23, 2018
• $2,232.60 from U.S. Bank in San Mateo, California, April 4, 2018
• $1,047 from U.S. Bank in Campbell, California, on April 6, 2018 

A federal grand jury indicted Vaughan on April 19, 2018, charging him with five counts of bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a).  Vaughan was arrested on April 7, 2018, and has been in custody since that date.        

Judge Orrick scheduled Vaughan’s sentencing hearing for December 6, 2018.  Vaughan faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of bank robbery.  However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only 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 Jonathan Lee is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kim Richardson and Alycee Lane.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the police departments of San Mateo, San Jose, and Campbell.