A federal jury in Chicago has found Francisco Martinez guilty of robbing a bank in Lake County, Illinois. The incident occurred on December 20, 2021, when Martinez entered a First Midwest Bank branch in Round Lake and presented a teller with a note demanding $40,000 within 30 seconds. He also displayed what appeared to be the handle of a firearm tucked into his waistband and briefly threatened a customer.
Martinez, aged 32 and from Des Plaines, Illinois, was arrested in June 2022. At the time of the robbery, he was on court-supervised release for a previous bank robbery conviction. He has been held in custody since his arrest.
The jury convicted Martinez of one count of bank robbery at the U.S. District Court in Chicago. This offense carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for August 29, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger.
The announcement came from Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Chicago Field Office. The investigation received significant support from the Round Lake Beach Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jimmy Arce, Adam L. Rosenbloom, and Caitlin S. Walgamuth represented the government.
