Michael Killion Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery and Federal Weapon Offense

February 12, 2010 - ALBANY, NY—Richard S. Hartunian, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York; Christopher Cole, Chief of Police, Saratoga Springs Police Department, Saratoga Springs, New York; Frederick Fusco, Chief of Police, Rensselaer City Police Department, Rensselaer, New York; John F. Pikus, Special Agent In Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albany Division; and Ronald Turk, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives announced today that MICHAEL KILLION, of Rensselaer, New York, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence Kahn in United States District Court to a two-count Information charging KILLION with (1) the prohibited possession of a firearm by a felon on September 18, 2009, and (2) the robbery of a Citizens Bank in Saratoga, New York, on September 17, 2009.

Pursuant to a plea agreement entered today, KILLION admitted the following facts relating to the two counts in the Information:

On September 18, 2009, law enforcement officers located a Walther PPK 380ACP Handgun Serial No. A022099 (hereinafter "Walther Handgun") under the driver seat of a 1993 Buick Riviera in which MICHAEL KILLION was the operator and sole occupant. When law enforcement officials located the Walther Handgun in the 1993 Buick Riviera, KILLION was aware that the Walther Handgun was in the 1993 Buick Riviera, as he had personally placed the handgun under the driver's seat of the vehicle. The Walther Handgun belonged to KILLION and was subject to his control. On September 18, 2009, when law enforcement officers located the Walther Handgun within his vehicle, KILLION was in possession of the handgun. During the two weeks preceding September 18, 2009, KILLION had been living in the 1993 Buick Riviera.

The Walther Handgun was manufactured outside of the state of New York and had been transported into New York State prior to September 18, 2009. The Walther Handgun is a firearm.

At the time KILLION was in possession of the Walther Handgun on September 18, 2009, he had been previously convicted of at least seven crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. On October 30, 1996, the defendant was convicted (by guilty plea) of seven counts of armed bank robbery and one count of carrying a firearm during a crime of violence in United States District Court, District of Connecticut. Each of these seven convictions for armed bank robbery constituted a conviction for a violent felony within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. 924(e)(2)(B). Each offense had as an element, the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another. More specifically, each of these crimes involved the use of a firearm or other weapon. Each of these seven convictions for armed bank robbery related to seven separate bank robberies committed on occasions different from one another. Each of these seven convictions for armed bank robbery was punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.

On September 17, 2009, at approximately 10:30 a.m., MICHAEL KILLION entered the Citizens Bank branch in the Hannaford Supermarket at 95 Weible Avenue, Saratoga Springs, New York. At the time he entered the bank, KILLION was wearing dark sunglasses, a hooded sweatshirt (with the hood pulled over his head), and a bandana covering his nose, mouth, and neck areas. KILLION approached a bank teller within the Citizens Bank branch and demanded that she put$100, $50, and $20 bills into a white grocery bag that he provided to the bank teller. KILLION told the bank teller that he did not want anybody to get hurt and that she should quickly place the money into the bag. As a result of KILLION's intimidation directed toward the bank teller, KILLION took $1390 in cash that belonged to another person (and not KILLION), and that was in the care, custody, and possession of Citizens Bank. KILLION made the demand for the money intending to intimidate the bank teller and intending to take from Citizens Bank money that belonged to another person and that was in the care, custody, and possession of Citizens Bank.

Citizens Bank, including the branch located within the Hannaford Supermarket located at 95 Weible Avenue, Saratoga Springs, New York, is a bank within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. §2113(f). The deposits of Citizens Bank, including the deposits of the branch located within the Hannaford Supermarket located at 95 Weible Avenue, Saratoga Springs, New York, are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

The case was investigated by the Rensselaer City Police Department, the Saratoga Springs Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albany Field Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.