The Home Team Bandit, Walter David Garcia, age 31, a Mexican national living in Phoenix, was indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of bank robbery, three counts of armed bank robbery, and one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence, late last week.
Garcia allegedly used demand notes to commit four West Valley bank robberies in August and September of 2011. In addition, Garcia allegedly used guns to commit three more bank robberies in February and April of 2012. During the armed robberies, Garcia allegedly ordered everyone in the bank down to the floor at gunpoint, vaulted the teller counter, and demanded money from the tellers.
Allegedly Garcia normally wore a sports team hat or clothing during the robberies, which is why he was dubbed the “Home Team Bandit.”
A conviction for bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. A conviction for armed bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. A conviction for use of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.