Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank Robbery Spree

ALBUQUERQUE – James Charles Mollohan, 36, of Albuquerque, N.M., pleaded guilty today to four armed bank robbery charges and to using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.  Under the terms of his plea agreement, Mollohan will be sentenced to a prison term within the range of 322 months (26.83 years) to 387 months (32.25 years) followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

The guilty plea was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Steven C. Yarbrough, Special Agent in Charge Carol K.O. Lee of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, and Chief Gorden E. Eden, Jr., of the Albuquerque Police Department.

Mollohan was arrested on Feb. 1, 2013, on a criminal complaint charging him with the armed robbery of the New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union branch located at 3205 Coors Blvd. NW in Albuquerque.  According to court filings, Mollohan approached a bank teller, pointed a handgun at the teller, and demanded money.  As the teller opened the cash drawer in response to Mollohan’s demand, the teller surreptitiously activated an alarm before handing cash to Mollohan.  Mollohan was arrested in the vicinity of the bank shortly thereafter by officers of the Albuquerque Police Department who responded to a radio transmission alerting them of the bank robbery.  Mollohan was in possession of a loaded semi-automatic handgun and a significant amount of cash when he was arrested.

During today’s hearing, Mollohan pled guilty to a five-count felony information charging him with four counts of armed bank robbery and possession of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.  In entering his guilty plea, Mollohan admitted robbing at gunpoint the following Albuquerque-area banks:  the Bank of Albuquerque branch located at 3301 Coors Blvd. NW on Jan. 12, 2013; the New Mexico Bank and Trust branch located at 6201 Riverside Plaza Lane on Jan. 29, 2013; and New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union located at 3205 Coors Blvd. NW on Jan. 29, 2013 and again on Feb. 1, 2013.

Mollohan has been in federal custody since his arrest on Feb. 1, 2013.  He remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department with assistance from the New Mexico Corrections Department Probation and Parole, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Barth.  This case is being prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution.  Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.