Feds: Convicted bank robber arrested in recent bank robbery spree
Rashon Mitchell, 40, of Philadelphia, allegedly robbed four banks while on supervised release from a previous bank robbery conviction.
A convicted bank robber was arrested again Thursday for allegedly carrying out a series of stickups while on supervised release from federal prison.
Rashon Mitchell, 40, of Philadelphia, allegedly targeted the Republic Bank branch at 1601 Market St. the afternoon of Feb. 28, less than two months after he was transferred into a low-intensity federal probation program, according to court records.
Mitchell handed a teller a note reading, "Just give me 3 grand and no one gets hurt," then made away with $913 and a dye pack, which he discarded when it exploded, court filings state.
The FBI, after releasing surveillance footage of the crime, received a call from a confidential informant who identified the suspect as Mitchell, an employee of a North Philadelphia deli who'd been convicted of bank robbery in the past, according to charging documents.
Mitchell's boss also came forward after watching a news story about the robbery and told authorities Mitchell hadn't shown up to work Feb. 28 and never called to explain his absence.
A warrant was issued for Mitchell's arrest April 9.
The same day, he allegedly walked into a TD Bank at 3735 Walnut St., handed a teller a demand note, and made away with $619.
That Friday, investigators say, Mitchell held up two TD Bank branches: one at 4020 City Ave. in Philadelphia, and the other at 969 Baltimore Pike in Springfield, Delaware County.
He was taken into custody at an undisclosed location after the FBI and Philadelphia Police Department received a tip alerting them to his whereabouts.
He confessed to all four bank robberies during questioning, court filings state.
Although Mitchell hadn't yet been arraigned Friday, federal prosecutors petitioned the court to jail him before trial, arguing he posed "a serious danger to the community," according to a copy of a motion for pretrial detention.
In August 2010, Mitchell was sentenced to 63 months' imprisonment, followed by three years' supervised release, after pleading guilty to charges stemming from five bank robberies and two attempted robberies during a two-week period in 2009.
He was released from federal prison in early 2013 and placed under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office, which this past January transferred him to a low-intensity program with minimal reporting requirements, according to a criminal complaint.
Documents from Mitchell's previous court proceedings state he confessed to a "several-hundred-dollars-per-day crack cocaine habit," and that his crimes appeared to have been motivated "by the need to feed a drug addiction."
As of Friday, prosecutors had charged him with only the Feb. 28 bank robbery, for which he faced a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
He faces additional charges and penalties in connection with the three other bank robberies, as well as for allegedly violating the terms of his supervised release, court documents state.
It wasn't clear whether Mitchell had retained an attorney, or when he was next due in court.