"Bling Bandit" Sentenced for Three Portland Bank Robberies

PORTLAND, Ore. – Ivory Joe Watkins, 37, of Portland, Oregon was sentenced by U. S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman to 65 months in prison following his pleas of guilty to two counts of unarmed bank robbery and one count of attempted unarmed bank robbery. Watkins, who had been given the moniker of the “Bling Bandit” because of the jewelry worn during the bank robberies, was also ordered to pay $3,641 in restitution to U.S. Bank. In Watkins’ guilty pleas, he admitted to the following bank robberies:

(1) April 26, 2012 – U.S. Bank, N.E. 122nd Ave.;
(2) June 29, 2012 – Wells Fargo Bank (attempted robbery), S.E. 82nd Ave.;
(3) July 16, 2012 – U.S. Bank, N.E. 122nd Ave.

These cases were investigated by the Portland Police Bureau and prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Fred Weinhouse.