A Garland man will spend more than 16 years in federal prison after prosecutors say he robbed a PNC Bank branch while he was already on supervised release. U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle on Tuesday ordered a 200-month sentence in federal court.
Judge Boyle handed down the 200-month term to 51-year-old Damon Johnson after he pleaded guilty in May to robbing a PNC Bank in Garland last November, according to EIN News. Prosecutors said Johnson grabbed a customer from behind, pointed a firearm at a teller and took off with about $3,900. Court records indicate he was indicted in December 2024 and arrested shortly afterward.
In a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, officials credited the FBI Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force with tracking Johnson down and made it clear they intend to keep pushing for long federal terms to discourage would-be robbers. FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock also praised the task force’s work, according to the release. EIN News notes prosecutors pressed for a stiff sentence because of Johnson’s criminal record.
Court records cited by WFAA show Johnson has prior federal convictions, including lengthy terms for drug and weapons offenses, along with a 1991 Michigan state conviction involving a violent assault. Officials said he was on federal supervised release at the time of the Garland robbery, a detail prosecutors emphasized at sentencing.
Federal Law And The Sentence
Bank robbery is prosecuted under 18 U.S.C. § 2113, which allows penalties of up to 20 years and permits higher terms when a dangerous weapon puts someone’s life at risk. Sentences can climb further when a defendant has a history of violent offenses or commits a crime while on supervised release. Prosecutors and the court said those factors played into Johnson’s 200-month term.
Investigation And Prosecution
The FBI Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force handled the investigation, according to the press release, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Aulbaugh led the prosecution. Prosecutors told the court that getting a repeat violent offender off the streets was a priority for the Northern District of Texas.
