United States Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña
Northern District of Texas

TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2012
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

GARLAND MAN ADMITS ROBBING THREE NORTH TEXAS BANKS LAST SUMMER

Defendant’s Mother Called FBI and Turned Son In After Visiting the Website Bandittracker.com

DALLAS — Anthony Blue, 19, of Garland, Texas, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renée Toliver to three counts of bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. Blue, who has been in federal custody since his arrest on related charges outlined in a criminal complaint, faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Godbey on April 9, 2012.

According to the factual resume, on June 14, 2011, Blue entered the State Bank of Texas located at 517 W. Interstate 30 in Garland, Texas. Blue approached a teller counter and presented a demand note to the teller that read, “50's 100's and no body gets hurt, sorry.” The teller complied and Blue took the money and fled. On the same day, after leaving the State Bank of Texas, Blue traveled to the Community Bank located at 201 E. Kaufman in Rockwall, Texas. He entered the bank, approached a teller counter and handed the teller the same note he had presented earlier that day. The teller complied with Blue’s demand and he took the money and left the bank.

On July 8, 2011, Blue entered the American Nation Bank located at 8908 Highway 34 South, Quinlan, Texas. Blue approached a teller and presented a note that read, “Empty Drawer 20's, 50's, 100's, 5 seconds.” The teller emptied the cash drawer and handed Blue the money. After receiving the cash, Blue left the bank.

Shortly thereafter, Blue’s mother called the Federal Bureau of Investigation, after visiting the website bandittracker.com, and told agents that she believed her son had robbed the State Bank of Texas in Garland and the Community Bank in Rockwall. FBI agents visited Blue’s mother and her husband and presented bank surveillance photos from those robberies, along with a photo of the individual who robbed the American National Bank in Quinlan. Both the defendant’s mother and her husband identified Blue as the bank robber from all three banks.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam is in charge of the prosecution.

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