A convicted sex offender who used his ATM debit card while holding up a San Diego bank will be spending the next few years in prison after being convicted of bank robbery.
Federal prosecutors say as part of a plea agreement, 56-year-old Alvin Lee Neal was sentenced to three years and ten months in prison on Tuesday after admitting to robbing a Wells Fargo Bank branch in downtown San Diego last May. After the heist investigators had little trouble tracking Neal down because he had swiped his Wells Fargo debit card at the customer card reader located at the counter before demanding money from the teller.
Even though his bank profile appeared on the teller’s computer screen, prosecutors say when the teller offered assistance, Neal responded by saying “You’re being robbed. Don’t make a mistake.” He also handed a note to the teller that read “You’re being robbed no mistake [sic].” Neal then fled the bank with $565.
FBI, police had little trouble finding Neal
With his personal information available to investigators, The Los Angeles Times reports that San Diego police and FBI agents had little trouble tracking Neal to a nearby hostel he was staying at, also in downtown San Diego.
And, since Neal is a registered sex offender, investigators also had his photo. According to California Megan’s Law website Neal had served time in prison for attempted rape and sexual battery.
No additional information is posted on the site about his previous conviction, though Neal was considered to be “low to moderate risk.”
When investigators searched the room at the hostel where Neal was staying they found a checkered, double-breasted jacket that appeared to match one the robber had worn. And, they also found the debit card he had swiped before holding up the bank.
Neal could have received 20 years in prison
With the prison sentence of less than four years, Neal avoided what could have been a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars. Though he was ordered to pay back to Wells Fargo the $565 he made off with during the heist.
