Kankakee Man Sentenced To More Than 22 Yearsin Prison For Armed Robbery Of Credit Union

Springfield, Ill. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough sentenced Brandon J. Thomas, 34, of Kankakee, Ill., to prison for the August 2012 armed robbery of the SDC Employees Credit Union in Kankakee. Thomas was ordered to serve a total of 272 months (22 years, eight months) in the federal Bureau of Prisons. Thomas has remained in law enforcement custody since his arrest in August 2012.

Thomas pled guilty on Sept. 2, 2014, to one count each of armed bank robbery, felon in possession of a firearm, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence for the August 13, 2012 robbery of the SDC Employees Credit Union. According to court documents, Thomas entered the credit union, located at 296 West Jeffery Street, at approximately 12:17 p.m., pointed a chrome revolver at employees and demanded money. After employees placed money into the bag held by Thomas, he fled on foot. A short time later, law enforcement officers arrested Thomas at a residence approximately two blocks north of the credit union.

Thomas was ordered to serve 15 years and 8 months for the armed bank robbery, plus a consecutive seven-year sentence for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

The Kankakee Area Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force, which includes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Kankakee Police Department, conducted the case investigation. The FBI also provided assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson prosecuted the case.\