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Request for Money + Metion of Gun = Bank Robbery

By Jonathan Byrne

US v. Ketchum: Ketchum walked into a North Carolina bank and handed a teller a note which read "[t]hese people are making me do this." He then told the teller that "[t]hey are forcing me and have a gun. Please don't call the cops. I must have at least $500." The teller gave Ketchum $1686 and he left the bank, only to be arrested shortly thereafter. He was charged with one count each of bank robbery and bank larceny. The parties agreed on the factual basis for a guilty plea, but not which charge it proved. The district court concluded that Ketchum's statement to the teller constituted "intimidation" under 18 USC 2113(a) and found him guilty of bank robbery.On appeal, Ketchum argued that there was not sufficient evidence to sustain a conviction for bank robbery because there was no evidence of intimidation...continue to full post

Full post as published by Fourth Circuit Blog on January 08, 2009 (boomark / email).