A Utah man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City for an alleged attempted bank robbery. Christopher Thomas Kirby, 37, from West Valley City, was initially charged on March 19, 2025.
Court documents state that on March 19, at around 1:32 p.m., Kirby allegedly handed a note to a teller at First Utah Bank in West Valley City demanding money. The note reportedly read, “this is a robbery I have a bomb on my [sic] that will explode I need 20,000 in bag.” The teller pretended to comply by going into the vault but instead activated the silent alarm and called 911. Police officers arrived promptly and took Kirby into custody.
Kirby faces one count of attempted bank robbery. His initial court appearance was held on March 26, 2025, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah. The investigation is being conducted jointly by an FBI Task Force Officer from the Salt Lake City Violent Crimes squad and the West Valley City Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda is prosecuting the case.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, which aims to combat illegal immigration and eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. This initiative coordinates resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
It should be noted that an indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
