Greeley Robbery Attorney | Santa Gives and Then He Takes

A man dressed as Santa to hand out candy canes and commit a Robbery of a bank. Click to read more about this story.

Using Christmas as a cover-up tends to be a good way to catch people off track. One man put on a Santa mask and walked into a bank under the guise that he was handing out candy canes. He gave one to every employee and customer before doubling back to one teller in particular. Instead of handing over another sweet treat, he handed the teller a note demanding money. The teller gave the not-so-jolly Santa some cash and he left the bank. As of now, the Santa has not been arrested, but if he is caught, he would be facing Robbery charges.

Weld County Robbery Lawyer: What is the Definition of Robbery?

The Colorado law definition of Robbery – C.R.S. 18-4-301 – is:

A person who knowingly takes anything of value from the person or presence of another by the use of force, threats, or intimidation commits robbery.

Robbery is not just stealing from someone in Weld, Morgan, and Logan County. For example, if a person put their purse down on a store counter and another walked up and took it, that would not be considered Robbery because there was no force, threats, or intimidation. That would be charged as Theft. If, however, a person walked up to a woman in a store and said “give me your purse or else” that would meet the elements of Robbery because there was a threat involved. In the case above, the Santa must have had something written on the note that would be considered a threat or intimidation in order to charge Robbery. Banks are also governed by federal law, where bank Robbery is punished more harshly.

Greeley Santa Robbery Lawyer: What is the Sentence / Punishment for Robbery?

Robbery is a class 4 felony in Greeley, Erie, and Evans, which carries a potential sentence of 2 to 6 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections and up to $500,000 in fines. If the person charged was in possession of a deadly weapon or tells the victim he is armed with a deadly weapon, then the charge would be Aggravated Robbery, which is an extraordinary risk crime and is a class 3 felony punishable by 4 to 16 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections and up to $750,000 in fines. Under federal law, the charges and penalties would be much worse.

If you or someone you love has been charged with Robbery or Aggravated Robbery, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best Greeley criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009 today. Together, we can protect your future.

Image Source: Pixabay-jill111