Illinois man gets life in prison for robberies

Published October 3, 2014 11:59am ET



ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (AP) — A Rock Island man has been sentenced to life in prison for two armed bank robberies of about $37,000.

The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday that 28-year-old Deangelo Dixon received the sentence without the possibility of parole because he is a repeat offender. He was convicted in March of robbing two banks in November and December of 2012.

Authorities say Dixon threatened to shoot a teller in a Viola bank less than two weeks after starting parole for aggravated robbery. He forced tellers to open the vault and took about $31,000 before fleeing.

Authorities say he pointed a butane lighter at tellers in a Sherrard bank and took about $6,000 from a teller drawer.

Officers and FBI agents later recovered evidence such as clothing and Dixon’s car that linked him to the robberies.