Marine Pleads Guilty to Robbing Wells Fargo Branch
A Marine Corps sergeant stationed at Camp Pendleton pleaded guilty Monday to robbing a San Clemente bank with a pistol he had checked out from a base guard shack, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Willie Garrett Jr., 26, of Chicago admitted he checked out the gun July 30 and drove to San Clemente, where he entered a Wells Fargo bank with the gun in his waistband and demanded money from the teller, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
The teller put about $700 in a bag, and Garret fled. But he dropped the bag when a dye pack inside exploded, prosecutors said.
Garrett was caught about a mile away.
He faces a sentence of up to 25 years and a fine of up to $250,000. He is being held without bail pending sentencing on Jan. 24 at U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.