INS Official Convicted of Attempted Robbery

A federal jury Friday convicted an Immigration and Naturalization Service officer and his brother of conspiring to rob the Postal Service credit union in Los Angeles.

The INS officer, Sterling David Bias, 34, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit unarmed bank robbery in connection with the Sept. 21, 1995, holdup. His brother, Shawn Christopher Bias, 32, was convicted of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, armed bank robbery and using a firearm during the crime.

Prosecutors charged that Sterling Bias had an account at the credit union and knew that it received biweekly armored car deliveries of about $1 million in cash.

Bias and his brother recruited two other defendants--James Miller and Marcus Young--to rob the credit union after one of the cash deliveries. As Young and Miller robbed the bank, prosecutors said, Bias and his brother watched from a car parked across the street.

Young and Miller recently pleaded guilty to several charges in connection with the robbery.

The Bias brothers are scheduled to be sentenced April 26. Sterling Bias could receive five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, prosecutors said. Shawn Bias could be sentenced to 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.