Bank Robber Pleads Guilty in Federal Court

LUBBOCK, TX—Allen Azaryan, 40, most recently of Burbank, California, pleaded guilty this morning before U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to one count of bank robbery in connection with the Wells Fargo Bank robbery in Lubbock in December 2011, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. Azaryan faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Judge Cummings ordered a presentence investigation report with sentencing to be set after the completion of that report.

According to documents filed in the case, on December 8, 2011, at about 2:25 p.m., Azaryan entered the Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., at 1500 Broadway in Lubbock, and handed a teller a note that read: “This is a robery [sic] give my [sic] all the money.” Azaryan also instructed the teller to give him a bag. When the teller responded that he didn’t have a bag, another teller provided one. The teller placed money in the bag and Azaryan left the bank.

A teller alerted an officer with the Lubbock Police Department (LPD), who was waiting in line behind Azaryan. The officer drew his firearm and followed Azaryan out of the bank. When the officer was about 12 feet away from Azaryan, he pointed his firearm at Azaryan and ordered him to the ground. As Azaryan raised his hands, he dropped a black Wells Fargo bank bag containing the money he had taken.

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI and the LPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lubbock, is in charge of the prosecution.