Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010 | 1:51 p.m.
Bank of America
A Las Vegas man who sported a surgical mask and straw hat last summer when he robbed a bank at gunpoint and led police on a high-speed pursuit was sentenced today to more than 10 years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Nevada announced.
Jason Theus Cunningham, 32, was sentenced to 125 months behind bars with an additional five years of supervised release for the Aug. 17, 2009, robbery of Bank of America, 4945 E. Sahara Ave., Daniel Bogden, U.S. attorney for Nevada, said in a statement.
Cunningham pleaded guilty in October to the armed bank robbery.
Prosecutors said that at 11:18 a.m., Cunningham, wearing the hat, mask and carrying a blue bag, entered the bank and approached a female teller. He put the bag on the counter and quietly requested a withdrawal from his savings account.
When the teller leaned closer to hear him better, Cunningham pulled out a semi-automatic pistol, racked the slide and held it to her head, saying” Give me the (expletive) money,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.
The teller took money from her drawer and put it in the bag; Cunningham then pointed the gun at another teller and a customer and said, “Shut up and don’t move,” the U.S. attorney’s office said, before exiting the bank and driving away.
After leaving the bank, Cunningham led Metro Police officers on a high-speed pursuit through residential neighborhoods before abandoning the car in the area of Lamb Boulevard and Washington Avenue. At that point, Cunningham began to run, authorities said.
During the foot chase, Cunningham discarded the loaded firearm, the Bogden said. Police later apprehended him in the area a short time later.
Inside the vehicle, police found a loaded 9mm Ruger semi-automatic pistol, a straw hat, a surgical mask and about $2,700.
Cunningham’s sentence was enhanced for using a firearm during the robbery, reckless endangerment during flight and because of previous convictions, which the U.S. attorney’s office said included a felony conviction for armed bank robbery in Texas as well as possession of a prohibited weapon on a college campus.
Metro Police and the FBI investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amber M. Craig.
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