Man pleads guilty to bank robbery charges
A 35-year-old man pleaded guilty this week in federal court to two counts of bank robbery in connection with holdups last fall in West St. Paul and in Arizona. Jeffrey Furtney, unknown address, entered his plea March 3 before United States District Court Judge Richard Kyle in Minneapolis.
According to his plea agreement, Furtney did by force, violence and intimidation take approximately $11,940 from the Bank of America in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Oct. 23, 2007. The agreement also states that Furtney took approximately $4,320 from the TCF Bank, located at the Cub Foods store in West St. Paul on Nov. 13, 2007, in a similar manner.
If convicted, Furtney faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the Arizona robbery charge and 25 years on the Minnesota robbery charge. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled, but all sentences are determined by a federal district court judge.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the police departments of Inver Grove Heights and West St. Paul, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erika R. Mozang