Carjacker Sentenced for Armed Bank Robbery

May 19, 2010 - A 34-year-old carjacker was sentenced today in federal court in Minneapolis for the armed robbery of a Blaine TCF bank on December 21, 2007. United States District Court Judge Joan N. Ericksen sentenced Jose Leonidas-Avalos, address unknown, to 63 months in prison on one count of armed bank robbery. Leonidas-Avalos was indicted on June 9, 2008, and pleaded guilty on February 23, 2010.

In his plea agreement, Leonidas-Avalos admitted stealing $1,200 from the bank. He also admitted brandishing a gun during the robbery. According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, a lone male robber, later identified as Leonidas-Avalos, entered the bank at 2 p.m. on December 21, 2007. He then handed a teller a note that read, “I need everything in the bag.” While the teller complied with the robber’s demands by stuffing cash into a bag, the robber pointed a handgun at her. After obtaining the bag, the robber exited the bank, leaving his demand note behind. Unknown to the robber, the bag contained dye packs as well as cash.

Shortly after the incident, police were able to locate and apprehend Leonidas-Avalos, who had committed an armed carjacking just 20 minutes before robbing the bank. The carjacking occurred at the Target store in Fridley. While the victim of that crime was buckling her children into their car seats in her SUV, Leonidas-Avalos approached with a handgun. He demanded the vehicle, so the victim removed her children and handed the car keys to Leonidas-Avalos. The store’s surveillance video recorded the crime. It also recorded Leonidas-Avalos exiting a red pickup truck just prior to the carjacking. Leonidas-Avalos is being prosecuted for the carjacking in Anoka County.

Immediately following the carjacking and bank robbery, police executed a search warrant on the red pickup and recovered a Republic of El Salvador passport in the name of Leonidas- Avalos. Officers also recovered a notebook with a page ripped in half. When authorities found the stolen SUV, they recovered exploded dye packs and dye-stained currency as well as clothing that matched what the robber had worn. They also located a nylon bag similar to the one used in the robbery. In addition, they recovered a piece of notebook paper that appeared to be the other half of the torn sheet of paper found in the pickup.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the police departments of Blaine and Fridley, and Target security. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erika R. Mozangue.