A New Orleans woman is facing serious time after being handed a federal indictment for bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced recently. Jentonia Williams, a 39-year-old resident from Orleans Parish, allegedly hit the Capital One Bank on Canal Street on September 2, where she is accused of fleeing with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Details emerging from the indictment allege that Williams took off with money from a bank whose deposits are ensured by the FDIC, a fact that could amplify the gravity of her charges should guilt be proven when her day in court arrives.
If convicted, Williams could stare down a future riddled with quite a set of circumstances; the charges she faces carry a potential sentence of up to twenty years in prison, fines reaching a quarter-million dollars, and up to three years under supervised release after any incarceration, along with an additional mandatory special assessment cost pegged at $100.
According to the Department of Justice, while the charges are severe, Simpson was quick to remind the public that these are merely allegations at this point in the process, an indictment is but a charge, "the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Violent Crime Task Force earned praise from Simpson for their work in bringing the matter to this stage, and Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans is tasked with prosecuting the case. Williams' indictment once more underscores the broad daylight that exists between an accusation and a verdict – and New Orleans will watch closely as the gears of justice grind forward. More information regarding the case can be found on the Department of Justice's website.
