Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
A Cleveland man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for his role in a violent armed bank robbery. Joel Alonte Travis, 21, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after being convicted by a jury in April of armed bank robbery and using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition to his prison term, Travis will serve three years of supervised release and must pay $112,440 in restitution.
The sentencing follows an incident on October 16, 2024, when two masked individuals approached a technician servicing a drive-thru ATM at a Chase Bank in South Euclid, Ohio. According to court documents, one of the men pressed a gun to the back of the technician's head and forced him to hand over five cassettes containing approximately $112,440 in cash. The robbers then fled the scene.
Authorities determined that Travis was on probation for another offense at the time of the robbery and was wearing an electronic monitoring device. Investigators used location data from this device and other evidence to place him at the scene. A search of Travis’s apartment led to the recovery of three firearms—one resembling the weapon seen on surveillance footage—and photographs showing Travis holding large amounts of cash posted on social media.
"This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Cleveland Heights Police Department, and South Euclid Police Department," according to information provided by officials.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle M. Baeppler and Kristen Rolph prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
