Portland Man Sentenced as a Career Offender after Committing Seven Bank Robberies

Full Restitution of $19,332 Ordered to Victim Banks

PORTLAND, Ore. – James Michael Wallace, 40, of Portland, Oregon, was sentenced by Senior District Court Judge Robert E. Jones today to 151 months in prison following his pleas of guilty to seven counts of unarmed bank robbery. Wallace was also sentenced to a consecutive term of 24 months in custody for a related supervised release violation.

Wallace was released from federal custody in late 2009 after serving a 151-month sentence for committing three bank robberies in 1998. Shortly after his release, he began his latest bank robbery spree, using verbal demands and intimidation. Wallace was sentenced for the following Portland metro robberies, which totaled $19,332:

(1) November 9, 2009 - Wells Fargo Bank, Hayden Island Branch;

(2) November 30, 2009 - U.S. Bank,

SW Harrison Street

;

(3) December 4, 2009 - U.S. Bank, SE 82nd Drive;

(4) December 7, 2009 - Wells Fargo Bank, Sellwood Branch;

(5) December 12, 2009 - Wells Fargo Bank,

SE 82nd Ave

;

(6) December 19, 2009 - Wells Fargo Bank,

SE McLoughlin Boulevard

; and

(7) December 21, 2009 - Wells Fargo Bank,

SW Martinazzi Avenue

.

The enhanced "Career Offender" sentence was based upon Wallace's prior convictions, which included the 1998 bank robberies and a first degree burglary conviction from Multnomah County which occurred in 1994.

These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Fred Weinhouse.