Chicago Man Arrested for Theft from Sycamore Bank

ROCKFORD — A Chicago man was arrested Friday after being indicted on charges of bank theft.

BRANDON MOORE, 29, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Rockford on March 19, 2019.  According to the indictment, on June 28, 2018, Moore stole more than $1,000 belonging to the Heartland Bank and Trust in Sycamore.  Moore has been in custody since his arrest and was scheduled to appear at 2:00 p.m. today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnston.

The arrest was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Jim Winters, Chief of the Sycamore Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Pedersen.

The charge of bank theft carries a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release of up to three years following imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from that offense, whichever is greater, plus full restitution. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines. 

The public is reminded that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.