Fairfield County man gets more than 13 years in prison for armed bank robberies in Athens, Marietta
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COLUMBUS -- A career bank robber was sentenced in the U.S. District Court Thursday to 162 months in prison for armed robberies committed in Athens and Marietta in 2020.
William E. Johnson, 58, of Lancaster, committed armed robberies in Aug. 2020 in Athens and Oct. 2020 in Marietta. As part of his sentence, he will pay more than $50,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, on Aug. 17, 2020, Johnson brandished a firearm at Hocking Valley Bank on East State Street in Athens. He wore a prosthetic forehead and nose, skin-toned arm sleeves and gloves, makeup, and a COVID mask, all designed to disguise his appearance. Johnson ordered employees to get on the floor and then emptied several drawers of cash. In total, he took more than $25,000. After stealing the cash, he then tied the employees' hands with zip ties. Johnson then ordered the bank manager to give him the keys to the bank manager's car and the manager complied. Johnson fled the bank in the stolen vehicle.
On Oct. 22, 2020, Johnson robbed the Citizens Bank on North Second Street in Marietta. Johnson was wearing a full-length Halloween-style mask that made him appear to be an old man and wore a red hood pulled up around his face. He possessed a gun and forced his way behind the tellers' counter, emptied several drawers, and stole $11,390.
At the time, Johnson had a warrant out for his arrest for a pending indictment for a bank robbery in Williamstown. Law enforcement officers spotted Johnson driving in West Virginia on the evening of the Marietta bank robbery and pulled him over. He attempted to flee on foot, telling officers they would have to kill him to take him into custody again.
Officers tased Johnson and placed him under arrest. Officers searched Johnson's vehicle and located more than $9,000 in cash, a loaded handgun, zip ties and his disguises.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cincinnati Division; the Athens, Marietta, Williamstown, W.Va. and Parkersburg, W.Va. police departments; the Washington County and Wood County, W.Va. sheriff's offices; and the West Virginia State Police announced the sentence imposed Thursday by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Noah R. Litton and S. Courter Shimeall represented the United States in this case.