In a direct response to a series of bank robberies, David Wayne Stanley, a 59-year-old Georgia man, has been given a substantial federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to bank robbery. As reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia, Stanley is facing 160 months behind bars and has been ordered to pay $6,677 in restitution. U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker also mandated three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

Stanley's history of convictions doesn't seem to have deterred his criminal activities. His rap sheet includes a 2016 conviction for another Savannah bank robbery and a state prison sentence in Texas for robbing seven banks in 2009. Moreover, the man was on supervised release for the 2016 robbery at the time of his latest offense in October 2023. "It should be abundantly clear that repeated stints in prison have yet to prevent David Wayne Stanley from committing additional violent crimes," said U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg in a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

According to court documents, Stanley robbed two tellers at a Wells Fargo Bank in Savannah by claiming to have a gun and demanding cash. The Chatham County Police Department and the FBI, with aid from U.S. Probation Services, were able to home in on Stanley using his vehicle as a starting point, leading to his arrest at his residence.

Reflecting on the broader implications, Will Clarke, Senior Supervisory Special Agent of FBI Atlanta's Savannah office pointed out, "Stanley’s prior prison time was apparently not enough of a teaching moment for him because he returned to his bank robbing ways while he was still on parole for the last bank robbery he committed." Acknowledging the efficacy of local law enforcement, Chatham County Police Department Acting Chief Julie Tolbert commended her detectives, noting, "We’re proud of the tireless efforts of all of the law enforcement officers who took an active part in making sure this case was solved quickly," as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. With Stanley now sentenced, the hope is that this punitive action will afford the community a reprieve from his criminal career while sending a message to others who might consider a similar path.