Arrest Made in Miami Bank Robbery

PHOENIX—Troy K. Miller, 48, of Globe, Arizona, was arrested today on a charge of armed bank robbery. Miller was charged by criminal complaint on April 6, 2012.

The complaint alleges that Miller entered the Bank of the West in Miami, Arizona on December 24, 2011 holding a handgun in one hand and a purported bomb in the other. He placed the purported bomb on the teller counter and told bank employees, “Hurry, or I’ll blow it.” After bank employees complied with his demands to give him money, Miller fled the area on his BMX-style bicycle. Bomb squad technicians responded, inspected the device, and determined that the device was a simulated bomb.

A conviction for armed bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. In determining an actual sentence, the judge will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.

A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Globe Police Department and the FBI’s Bank Robbery Task Force. The Bank Robbery Task Force is a partnership of the FBI, the Phoenix Police Department, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the Mesa Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, whose focus is to investigate and apprehend bank robbers in the greater Phoenix area. The prosecution is being handled by Alison S. Bachus, District of Arizona, Phoenix.