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Man gets five years for looting eight banks

A Napa man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $17,250 in restitution for robbing eight banks in Northern California in a one-month period in 2013, prosecutors said Friday.

Joshua James Metoxen, 25, was indicted by a federal grand jury last Aug. 14 and pleaded guilty to eight counts of bank robbery on April 2, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In entering his plea, Metoxen admitted to using force or intimidation to rob banks in San Ramon, Milpitas, Pleasant Hill, Castro Valley, Santa Rosa and Middletown, which is in Lake County, prosecutors said.

Metoxen wasn’t armed but entered the banks wearing sunglasses and a hooded sweatshirt, approached the victim tellers to ask for change and presented a note that demanded money, prosecutors said.

He usually made verbal demands and ordered the tellers to comply with his demands, according to prosecutors.

Metoxen admitted committing these bank robberies, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said:

–Taking $2,108 from a U.S. Bank branch in San Ramon, on Feb. 23, 2013.

–Taking $4,106 from a West America branch in Middletown on Feb. 27, 2013.

–Taking $1,350 from a U.S. Bank branch in Milpitas on March 5, 2013.

–Taking $4,295 from a Tri-Counties Bank branch in Middletown on March 7, 2013.

–Taking $1,479 from a U.S. Bank branch in Pleasant Hill on March 18, 2013.

–Taking $1,133 from a U.S. Bank branch in Milpitas on March 20, 2013.

–Taking $1,000 from a U.S. Bank branch in Castro Valley on March 21, 2013.

–Taking $1,780 from a U.S. Bank branch in Santa Rosa on March 26, 2013.

Prosecutors said many law enforcement bulletins describing the suspect and the cars he used were issued during a multi-agency investigation and Metoxen was apprehended on March 28, 2013, when he attempted to rob a bank in Novato for the second time in two months.

A teller at the Novato bank called 911 while Metoxen was still in the bank and a Novato police detective was able to identify the car Metoxen was in as he drove away from the bank, according to prosecutors.

Novato police then arrested Metoxen on U.S. Highway 101 in that area, police said.

Metoxen was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers at the federal courthouse in Oakland on Thursday.

Metoxen, who has been custody since his arrest in March 2013, is already serving two years in state prison for his conviction in state court for the same crimes, prosecutors said.

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