United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

LAST OF THE GRAND PRAIRIE TAKEOVER BANDITS SENTENCED
TO 391 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON, WITHOUT PAROLE

DALLAS — Margarita Armijo, one of the “Grand Prairie Bandits,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey, to a total of 4692 months (391 years) in federal prison for multiple armed bank robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Judge Godbey also ordered that Armijo, 20, pay more than $122,000 in restitution to the victims of his crimes. Last week, Jason Montes, 21, his co-defendant, was sentenced to 4055 (338 years) in federal prison.

Margarito Armijo and Jason Montes, both of Grand Prairie, Texas, were convicted following a week-long trial in April 2008 on all counts of a superseding indictment that charged them with various felony offenses related to nine armed bank robberies they committed in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex area in 2006.

Armijo was convicted of on eight counts of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, 16 counts of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during or in relation to a crime of violence and eight counts of bank robbery. Montes was convicted on eight counts of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, 16 counts of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during or in relation to a crime of violence and eight counts of bank robbery.

Co-defendant Luis Favila, 20,of Grand Prairie, pled guilty in September 2007 to nine counts of bank robbery and two counts of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during or in relation to a crime of violence, during the commission of two of the bank robberies. He was sentenced in June 2008 to a total of 505 months (42 years) in prison.

During trial, the government called 45 witnesses to prove that the defendants committed the following armed bank robberies:

• July 8, 2006 Wells Fargo Bank
1889 Brown Blvd., Arlington, Texas

• July 28, 2006 Wachovia Bank
3636 W. Northgate Drive, Irving, Texas

• August 5, 2006 Bank of America
5400 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, Texas

• August 11, 2006 Chase Bank
2530 Fort Worth Ave., Dallas, TX

• August 12, 2006 Bank of America
720 N. Watson Road, Arlington, TX

• September 5, 2006 Compass Bank
5980 S. Cooper, Arlington, TX

• September 14, 2006 Citibank
2450 Hall Johnson Road, Grapevine, TX

• September 16, 2006 Wells Fargo Bank
1050 Market Place Blvd., Irving, TX

• September 30, 2006 Regions Bank
743 N. Highway 67, Cedar Hill, TX

The defendants were part of a “take-over” crew of armed bank robbers, a crew that committed each of these robberies in the same fashion. The robbers, armed with large caliber pistols and dressed in black, would enter each of these banks and threaten bank employees and customers with death if they did not comply with their demands. The defendants then assaulted the bank tellers at gunpoint and demanded the cash that was under their control. They executed each bank robbery in less than one minute.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Dallas, Arlington, Irving, Grapevine, and Cedar Hill, Texas Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay prosecuted the case.

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