"Buckeye Bandit" Gets Twenty Year Prison Sentence For Multiple Bank Robberies

Federal prosecutors say the man authorities call the "Buckeye Bandit" was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for robbing eight central Ohio banks since 2013. 27-year-old Ikechi Emeaghara pleaded guilty earlier this year. Emeaghara was also ordered to pay restitution to the banks and sentenced to five years of supervised release following his imprisonment. He was shot and wounded by Columbus police last October when he allegedly pulled a gun on officers after a bank robbery. Emeaghara was given the moniker because he typically wore an Ohio State University shirt and hat during the robberies. According to court documents, Emeaghara brandished a weapon and demanded cash from bank tellers on the following occasions:
 
·         October 31, 2013 at the Wesbanco Bank on South Stygler Road in Gahanna
·         November 30, 2013 at the Cooper State Bank on West 5th Avenue in Columbus
·         December 6, 2013 at the Wesbanco Bank on South Stygler Road in Gahanna
·         July 9, 2014 at the Smart Federal Credit Union on North High Street in Columbus*
·         January 12, 2015 at the Cooper State Bank on Sawmill Road in Columbus*
·         April 26, 2015 at the Cooper State Bank on Sawmill Road in Columbus*
·         March 17, 2016 at the First Merit Bank on East Powell Road in Powell
·         October 21, 2016 at the Key Bank on Frantz Road in Columbus (original indictment)
 
* Denotes armed robbery charges that also include forcing one or more persons to accompany him within the bank.