(AP) — DETROIT – A man who began robbing banks to fix his mother’s plumbing was sentenced to just two years in prison Tuesday, a significant break, after a judge said he was an “outstanding citizen” before his crimes.
Jimmie Lee Fortune, 29, of Detroit, pleaded guilty in March to stealing nearly $14,000 from five banks in Macomb County. Prosecutors agreed not to charge him with three more robberies.
Fortune said he committed a “lapse of judgment.”
B.S.–Some of us might even call it (gasp), a crime.
“I was so stressed and depressed,” he told U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman. “I found it difficult to separate life from fiction.”
Fortune had told investigators that he robbed the first bank in April 2008 to fix his mother’s plumbing and get his driver’s license reinstated.
He entered banks demanding money and yelling threats such as, “Large bills or I’ll start shooting,” according to the FBI. Fortune was not armed during the robberies.
The judge went with a sentence that was less than the suggested range of five years to six years in prison.
“Every defendant should be treated individually. He was an outstanding citizen before this happened,” said Friedman, who received 17 letters supporting Fortune.
Defense lawyer Stacy Studnicki said the sentencing guidelines were “too harsh” in the case. She urged the judge to choose a lighter punishment and often referred to the sealed findings of a mental-health expert who met Fortune.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina McCullough asked Friedman to stay within the guidelines.
“People deal with financial crisis every day. Is the answer to rob banks? … What message are we sending to others if we just slap Mr. Fortune on the wrist?” McCullough said.
Outside court, she declined to comment. Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for prosecutors, said: “We respect the court’s position.”
B.S. Report–It sounds like Mr. Fortune really just charmed the pants off these guys. That reminds me: There was a villain on the old “Get Smart” TV show played by Jack Gilford known as “Simon the Likeable.” The gag was that he was just so darn likeable that no one had the heart to do anything bad to him. The aptly named Mr. Fortune seems to have some luck of his own.
Use in case of emergency...open book before robbing bank
