Miami Man Sentenced to 160 Months for Multiple Bank Robberies

 Miami, Florida – Forty-three-year-old Christopher C. Pinkston was sentenced his week to over 13 years in federal prison for robbing three South Florida banks and attempting to rob a fourth during a one-month crime spree earlier this year. Pinkston had already served nearly twelve years in federal prison for a string of bank robberies in 2006 in the Western District of Missouri.     

According to court records, at about 1:30 p.m. on February 11, Pinkston entered the Chase Bank located at 13745 S.W. 152nd Street in Miami, approached a teller window, and handed the teller a note saying: "I need 30,000 Dollars or everybodys [sic] Dead." The victim teller gave Pinkston $1,000 in cash, after which Pinkston exited the bank, leaving the demand note behind. Pinkston robbed a second bank at about 1:30 p.m. on February 19. He entered the City National Bank located at 13780 S.W. 88th St. in Miami, approached a teller window, and handed the teller a note saying: "Good morning this is a robbery Handover $30,000 you have less than one min no ink bombs or trackers Thank you [sic]." The victim teller handed Pinkston $5,100 in cash, after which Pinkston exited the bank, leaving the demand note behind.  

On March 5, the defendant entered a TD Bank in Palmetto Bay, approached a desk of one of the TD Bank employees, sat down, and handed the employee a note demanding $30,000. When the employee informed the defendant that she did not have any cash in her cash box, he took back his demand note and left the bank. The employee recalled that the note began, “This is a robbery, I need $30,000.” Only 15 minute later, the defendant walked into another Chase Bank in Miami located about a mile from the previous attempted robbery. The defendant approached one of the teller windows and handed the teller a note demanding $30,000: “This is a robbery I need $30,000 make it quick.” The defendant walked out of the bank with $24,900.

On September 29, 2021, Pinkston pled guilty to two counts of bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a).  U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas imposed Pinkston’s sentence.

Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida and FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro announced the sentence. 

FBI Miami investigated this case, with cooperation and assistance from Miami Dade Police Department and City of Miami Police Department, Special Investigations Section.  Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Egozi prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20194-WPD.