El Paso Bank Robber Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison

John E. Murphy, Acting U.S. Attorney, announced that in El Paso this morning, 33-year-old Russel Deck was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for robbing a branch of Capital Bank and two local convenience stores earlier this year.

In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Philip R. Martinez ordered that Deck pay a combined $1,079 restitution to the victims of the robberies and be placed on supervised release for a period of five years after completing his prison term.

On July 30, 2009, Deck pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence. By pleading guilty, Deck admitted that on April 3, 2009, he stole $1,060 from the Capital Bank located at 8700 Montana. Deck also admittedly robbed two convenience stores that same day prior to the bank robbery—taking $19 from the Circle K located at 3101 McRae and beer and cigarettes from the 7-11 at 1026 Montana—all while carrying a .357 magnum revolver.

On October 1, 2009, Deck’s co-defendant, 25-year-old Samantha Favela was sentenced to five years probation—including six months of home confinement—and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to one count of misprision of felony, that is having knowledge of the bank robbery, failing to notify authorities of the bank robbery and subsequently assisting Deck in evading law enforcement.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the El Paso Police Department. It was prosecuted for the government by Assistant United States Attorney J. Brandy Gardes.

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