Mitchell, Illinois Man Charged with Bank Robberies

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on January 27, 2011, JOHN L. NEAL, Jr., age 51, of Mitchell, Illinois, was charged by criminal complaint with four counts of Bank Robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113. The violations are alleged to have occurred on December 7, 2010; January 5, 2011; January 14, 2011; and January 25, 2011, in Madison County, Illinois.

Individuals charged by Criminal Complaint have the constitutional right to have the case presented to a grand jury to decide whether to return an indictment which is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge and is entitled to a fair trial at which the Government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The maximum penalty for each count of bank robbery is 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, or both, five years’ supervised release and a special assessment of $100.

The investigation is being conducted by the Granite City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and in consultation with the Madison County States Attorney’s Office. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Deirdre A. Durborow for prosecution.