A West Valley City man has pleaded guilty to robbing a credit union, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah. Joseph Troy Ortega, 58, admitted in court to taking $3,690 after threatening a teller during the incident.
Court documents and statements made at Ortega’s change of plea hearing on August 28, 2025, indicate that he entered a credit union in West Valley City and demanded money from a teller. After receiving $3,690, Ortega fled the scene in a black Toyota Rav 4. Law enforcement officers located him shortly after and took him into custody. Officers found part of the stolen cash inside an envelope in his vehicle.
Ortega is set for sentencing on February 24, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak announced the guilty plea.
The FBI Salt Lake City Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda is prosecuting.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to use resources from the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration and organized crime while protecting communities from violent offenses by coordinating efforts through programs like Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
