4-year sentencing for man for robbing two banks

A Rockford man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison. He has been charged on one count of armed bank robbery and one count of bank robbery. 25-year old Demontrion Phillips pleaded earlier this year of robbing Alpine Bank, 2642 Charles St. in Rockford, on July 17, 2017. He also pleaded guilty of robbing of Northwest Bank, 3106 N. Rockton Ave. in Rockford, on June 13, 2017.

John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Larry L. Lapp, acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of FBI; and Dan O’Shea, Chief of the Rockford Police Department announced the sentencing. The FBI Safe Streets Task Force included representatives from the FBI; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Loves Park Police Department; Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department; and Rockford Police Department carried out the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Paccagnini. represented the government in the case. Phillips and another individual robbed the Alpine Bank at approximately 5:48 p.m. Phillips robbed the bank by drawing a BB gun, placing a note and a white plastic garbage bag on the counter. Phillips jumped over the counter and putting money himself.

He then went to another teller and did the same thing. As he ran to a waiting vehicle in a nearby parking lot, he dropped the BB gun and some of the money. Phillips also robbed the Northwest Bank at 4:15 p.m. He threatened the teller with a note indicating that he had a gun.

The teller placed the money on the counter and Phillips placed it in a brown plastic grocery bag and left the bank with money. Phillips had used a fake beard in both the robberies. U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. gave the sentencing and also ordered to pay full restitution.