A Cleveland man was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Thursday for robbing four dollar stores and a bank.
Reginald Wimberly, 24, used a gun in four bank robberies and threatened to shoot someone. The heists took place over a four-day period.
U.S. District Judge Bridget Brennan upheld a plea agreement agreed upon between prosecutors and Wimberly’s defense attorney, which called for the sentence. She ordered Wimberly to reimburse the $1,426 he took and sentenced him to three years of post-prison supervision, which includes mental health and drug therapy.
Wimberly stole from three Dollar General stores on Cleveland’s East Side between noon and 6 p.m. on December 27, 2022. The following day, he robbed a Family Dollar, and on December 30, 2022, he robbed the Citizens Bank on Broadway Avenue at East 57th Street.
During the bank heist, Wimberly slid a note to a teller demanding $20,000 and threatening to shoot the person next to him if he did not receive it.
Wimberly raced out of the bank after the teller handed him $100.
Wimberly dropped his phone inside the bank, and the FBI first detained its owner, Wimberly’s roommate at the time. Agents eventually discovered that Wimberly had taken the phone to the bank.
According to court documents, Wimberly informed FBI officials that he committed the bank robbery due to his frustration with his financial situation.
Assistant US Attorney Kristen Rolph asserted that Wimberly’s robberies had escalated, causing the victims, including one who had suffered long-term impacts, to fear for their lives.
Wimberly declined to speak during the hearing, stating merely that he had an excellent attorney.
Rolph and Wimberly’s defense counsel, James Kersey, stated at the court that Wimberly suffered from drug addiction and mental problems, which caused him to spiral at times.
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