Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison

TOLEDO, Ohio - Hershel Winbush, 68, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced to prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after he pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery in Lucas County, Ohio, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release for a prior conviction. Imprisonment will be for a total term of 140 months (more than 11 years) for each count to run concurrently and pay $8,210 in restitution. Upon release from imprisonment, the defendant was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release.

According to court documents and court records, Winbush entered several financial institutions in the Toledo, Ohio, area from 2019 through 2024 and threatened bank employees with violence by presenting notes such as “I have a gun, give me all the cash available,” and “This is a hold up. I have a gun.” Federally insured banking institutions that were affected included:

• Woodforest National Bank, Glendale Ave., Oct. 24, 2019
• Woodforest National Bank, Glendale Ave., Nov. 5, 2019
• Jeep Federal Credit Union, Manhattan Blvd., April 8, 2024
• Key Bank, Secor Rd., April 22, 2024

During the investigation, authorities discovered that Winbush had a decades-long pattern of bank robberies and had multiple incarcerations and prior convictions for crimes of violence in Michigan. Winbush was classified as a Career-Offender by Judge Jack Zouhary.

This case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Field Office and the Toledo Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Simko for the Northern District of Ohio.