Michigan Bank Robber Involved In Multistate Crime Spree Sentenced To 235 Months In Prison

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Birge announced today that U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney sentenced Jermaine DeShawn Clark to 235 months in prison following his conviction on two counts of bank robbery.

          Clark, age 30, was a resident of Ingham County, Michigan on June 29, 2019, when he robbed a Lansing branch of Chase Bank and fled with $2,900. On July 13, 2019, he struck a Kalamazoo branch of PNC bank, robbing it of $2,040. He used a stolen Dodge Charger as a getaway car in both robberies, and shortly after left the State in that vehicle. Acting on tips and other information from the robberies, Michigan law enforcement officers quickly identified Clark as the robber and obtained a federal arrest warrant for him.

          At the time of the two Michigan robberies, Clark was on parole for a 2017 bank robbery conviction in Ohio. On July 24, after fleeing Michigan, Clark stopped in Mason, Ohio to have the tires checked on the getaway car. After learning that he would need $300 to repair the vehicle, he robbed a PNC bank branch in Mason and obtained $2,508. He then continued travelling south.

          Later that same day, police located Clark in Florence, Kentucky in the stolen Dodge Charger. A high speed chase on Interstate 75 followed, with Clark driving his vehicle in excess of 140 miles per hour. The chase ended when Clark lost control of his vehicle, crashing it into another vehicle and severely injuring a nurse on her way home from work.

          Clark pled guilty to both Michigan robberies on December 20, 2019. He also took responsibility for the Mason, Ohio bank robbery. After considering the facts surrounding the robberies and Clark’s background, Judge Maloney declared him an ongoing threat to the community and chose the prison term of 235 months.

          This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, the Mason, Ohio Police Department and the Lansing Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy P. VerHey prosecuted the case.

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