A Harlingen man who used a cell phone to demand money at the Bank of America last summer is headed to prison for several years.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen sentenced Adrian Paul Ross to 42 months for robbing the bank on May 26, 2017. He pleaded guilty in late November.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Texas, the court considered Ross’s mental health when handing down the 3.5 year prison term, plus three years of supervised release. Ross will also have to undergo mental health treatment while in prison.
At today’s hearing, Ross admitted to the crime and apologized for what he had done.
On the day of the robbery Ross walked into the Bank of America at 222 E. Van Buren Ave. at 2 p.m. wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. He waited in line with other customers.
When he got to the teller he told her he wanted to make a deposit and then showed her a cellphone which had the words “EMPTY OUT YOUR DRAWER” written on the screen in capital letters.
The USOA says the teller gave Ross the money and activated the bank’s silent alarm. Ross walked out of the bank and was last seen heading east down the alley on Van Buren. He was arrested later that night in Three Rivers, Texas.
At that time police said the arrest was made possible through the cooperation of the Harlingen Police Department, FBI, Cameron County District Attorney’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Live Oak County Sheriff’s Office, Three Rivers Police Department, George West Police Department and OnStar Corporation.
