Missouri man pleads guilty in Smithton bank robbery
From Illinois Business Journal news services
EAST ST. LOUIS – Jonathon M. Ford, 38, of Fenton, Mo., has pleaded guilty in federal district court to charges accusing him of robbing the Regions Bank in Smithton this past March.
Ford is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 29, at which time he faces a prison term of up to 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, not more than three years of supervised release after his prison term, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.
Court proceedings revealed that on March 19, Ford entered Regions Bank in Smithton, wearing a dark-colored hooded zip up jacket and black face mask. Ford approached a bank teller, pointed a BB gun at the teller, and then stated, “I need all of your money.” The teller immediately removed $3,872 in money from the drawer and handed it to Ford, who fled.
Ford was captured by law enforcement officials a short time later, and all of the stolen money was recovered.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak for prosecution.
