A Houston man who became notorious for his series of gunpoint bank robberies has been sentenced to a total of 246 months in prison. According to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of Texas, Malik Johnson, 23, was given this lengthy sentence after pleading guilty on Feb. 23 to the charges against him. The "Big Shades Bandit," as he had been nicknamed due to his disguise, was also condemned to five additional years of supervised release following his time behind bars. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced the sentence.

U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein ordered Johnson to serve 78 months for the robberies and, separately, 168 months for brandishing a firearm, which will run consecutively. The court cited Johnson's repeated violent conduct, emphasizing that these were not isolated incidents but a series of aggressive acts by a serial offender. Johnson managed to successfully intimidate and rob three banks in 2022 before his apprehension. His strategy involved showing a black pistol and handing tellers a note with demands and threats, firmly insisting they act quickly to comply.

The spree of robberies occurred first on June 29 and later on Sept. 6, 2022, at First Convenience Bank and First National Bank, respectively, with Johnson following the same modus operandi each time. On Oct. 12, 2022, at Woodforest National Bank, when a teller hesitated, Johnson unhesitatingly displayed his semi-automatic weapon, intensifying the threat before eventually taking off with the money. The report by U.S. Attorney Hamdani provides these details, adding that beyond his distinctive eyewear, Johnson was identified partly because of a baseball cap with the name “Leek,” a moniker he also used on social media.

Following a lead that identified Johnson and connected him to the alias “Leek,” law enforcement arrested him, finding evidence at his residence, including clothing from the robberies and the weapon used. As a clear indicator of his involvement, Johnson was wearing his signature "Leek" embroidered Chicago White Sox cap at the time of his arrest. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Johnson’s place and discovered the incriminating items, as per U.S. Attorney Hamdani's statement. Johnson later admitted to all the robberies and the use of firearms in the crimes.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from the Houston Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Stotts, culminating in this substantial sentencing. As prescribed by the court, Johnson will now be detained until he can be transferred to a federal prison, the location of which will be determined at a later date.