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April 21, 2006

SERIAL BANK ROBBER SENTENCED TO FOURTEEN YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - United States District Judge John Antoon II today sentenced EDWARD JOHANSON, a 66 year-old resident of New Smyrna Beach, to 14 years’ imprisonment on four counts of bank robbery. In addition to the prison term, JOHANSON must serve three years in a supervised release program, perform 150 hours of community service, pay a $400 special assessment and make full restitution to the victims of the robberies. JOHANSON previously had entered a guilty plea to the charges on December 23, 2005.

According to the plea agreement, JOHANSON robbed four separate federally insured banks from September 6 - 10, 2005. The robberies occurred at branches of the First National Bank in Ocoee, the Bank of America in New Symrna Beach, the Washington Mutual Bank in Oviedo and the Bank of America in Daytona Beach. During each of the robberies, JOHANSON demanded money while displaying a pellet pistol that resembled a metallic semi-automatic handgun. Bank employees and witnesses identified JOHANSON as the robber from photographic lineups and images from each bank’s video surveillance system. In addition, employees from the Bank of America in New Symrna Beach recognized JOHANSON from his previous contacts with them as a customer.

JOHANSON was apprehended after the Daytona Beach robbery after a high speed car chase involving members of the Daytona Beach and Port Orange Police Departments. When arrested, JOHANSON had the silver pistol tucked in his waistband. JOHANSON is designated as a career offender under federal sentencing laws based upon his two prior federal bank robbery convictions.

The case represents the culmination of a cooperative effort between the United States Attorney’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office for Brevard/Seminole Counties, the City of New Smyrna Beach Police Department, the Daytona Beach Police Department, the City of Port Orange Police Department, the City of Ocoee Police Department and the Daytona Beach Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This is another case prosecuted as a part the Department of Justice program “Project Safe Neighborhoods” - a nationwide gun violence reduction initiative. United States Attorney Paul I. Perez is coordinating the cooperative effort here in the Middle District of Florida with federal, state and local law enforcement officials. The objective is to reduce violent crime by locating and seizing unlawfully possessed guns and then swiftly prosecuting the offenders using both federal and state gun laws.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr. and Special Assistant United States Attorney Greg Konieczka.