Federal Charges Filed in Indiana Bank Robbery Case

By - June 9, 2014
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2113150-HFederal bank robbery charges have been filed this week against a man in Zionsville, Indiana, who police say robbed at least five banks in the state, including one in Poland IN in 2012.

Alan McCormick, 46, has been indicted by a grand jury on five counts of armed bank robbery. If he is convicted, he could receive 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge. These charges were filed on June 4 in Terre Haute IN.

McCormick currently is jailed at the Clay County Justice Center.

According to the US Attorney for the Southern District on the case, it is very important that the federal government goes after people who take peace of mind from the community. Joe Hogsett noted that bank robbers put many people in danger, both physically and financially.

McCormick is alleged to have held up a Citizens Bank in Eminence and also a First Financial Bank in 2012, as well as the Hoosier Heartland banks, which are in Linden and Ladoga in 2013. He also is alleged to have robbed the Fountain Trust Bank in Darlington this past spring.

In the robbers in Ladoga and Eminence, he is accused of using a gun and an explosive device. In the other cases, he is alleged to have used just a firearm.

In the Poland IN robbery, he is alleged to have gone into the bank and pulled out a handgun, and demanded money from several tellers. He left the building with a bag of money and ran out on foot.

It was the robbery that occurred in Darlington that got the federal investigation going. The police received a description of the car he used, and the local sheriff’s office was able to track down that car, which was traced to McCormick.

The police learned that he had borrowed the car, which is a Nissan Sentra, which he allegedly used in the Darlington robbery.

Investigators then tracked down McCormick and they served a warrant on him at his home in Zionsville. A few days later, he confessed to the police about his involvement in the five robberies.

This investigation was done by the FBI and several sheriff’s departments in Indiana.

According to the FBI, that agency is strongly committed to investigating bank robberies and arresting people who put bank employees and other citizens in danger.

About Federal Bank Robbery Laws

Laws against bank robbery are much harsher than those for smaller types of robbery. The main reason is that banks are federal buildings with deposits backed by the federal government. Robbing a bank is not a local crime: It is a federal one. That is why it carries federal charges and federal penalties. So, penalties for bank robbery are always much more severe than for regular robbery.

Note that a weapon need not be involved in a robbery of a bank. All one needs to do is to give a note to a teller and demand money. That is enough to be considered bank robbery.

In a bank robbery case, the criminal often faces more than just the robbery charge. Some of the other federal charges in such a case can include kidnapping, murder and assault. Typical sentences start at 10 years and can go up to 25 years. If kidnapping and murder charges are added, a life sentence or even the death penalty are possible. The criminal history of the person also can affect the final sentence.