Buckeye Reporter

A Cleveland man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for his role in a violent armed bank robbery that took place last year. Joel Alonte Travis, 21, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after being found guilty by a jury in April of armed bank robbery and using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition to the prison term, Travis will serve three years of supervised release and must pay $112,440 in restitution.

Court records show that on October 16, 2024, just before noon, two masked men ambushed an ATM service technician at a Chase Bank in South Euclid, Ohio. One assailant pressed a gun to the back of the technician’s head while demanding cash cassettes intended for the ATM. The robbers took five cassettes containing about $112,440 and fled the scene in a Hyundai Sonata.

Investigators determined that Travis was on probation and wearing an electronic monitoring device at the time of the robbery. Authorities used location data from this device along with other evidence to connect him to the crime scene. During a search of Travis's apartment, law enforcement recovered three firearms—including one resembling that seen on surveillance footage—and photos posted by Travis on social media displaying large amounts of cash.

The investigation was conducted by several agencies including the FBI Cleveland Division, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Cleveland Heights Police Department, and South Euclid Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle M. Baeppler and Kristen Rolph prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.

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