An 88-year-old man was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison for his role in two bank robberies within four days of each other, according to Montana’s U.S. attorney.
Steven Whitecloud of Billings, Montana, pleaded guilty in February to one count of bank robbery, following his alleged involvement in two bank robberies that took place in August.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters sentenced Whitecloud to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
The court additionally ordered Whitecloud to pay $3,092 in restitution.
The U.S. attorney’s office alleged in court documents that on Aug. 24, 2023, Whitecloud’s co-defendant Patrick Justice, 26, entered a U.S. Bank and presented a teller a note demanding money. The teller obliged and Justice fled in a green Ford Taurus.
Four days later, Justice entered a Wells Fargo bank and again presented a teller a note demanding money, telling the teller he was “strapped,” which the teller interpreted as Justice saying he was armed. The teller gave Justice money.
As police responded to the scene, they saw Justice entering the green Ford Taurus. After a pursuit, officers stopped the vehicle and detained Justice along with Whitecloud, who was driving. Authorities said the two stole a combined $15,000 in both robberies.
Justice is Whitecloud’s grandson, according to court documents filed by the defense.
Whitecloud, who had been convicted of bank robbery in 2008 and sentenced to 10 years in state prison, told officers he had suggested that he and Justice rob banks to make money, as he had done in the past. Whitecloud said he told Justice which banks they should hold up and acted as the getaway driver.
Whitecloud suffers from severe health issues, including stage 5 lung cancer in remission, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hepatitis C, high blood pressure, arthritis and scoliosis. He requires the use of supplemental oxygen and has limited mobility.
Since 2017, Whitecloud has had three criminal convictions, including a felony for criminal mischief after he discharged a firearm at a victim who caught him and another person stealing out of the victim’s truck.
“He is living on the very ragged end of life,” the U.S. attorney's sentencing memorandum read. “And yet. Despite all of his illness and infirmity, the defendant has demonstrated himself to be, on multiple occasions, a significant danger to the community.”
Whitecloud was ordered to report to the U.S. Marshals Service pending designation to a Bureau of Prisons medical facility. Justice was also sentenced to two years in prison for his conviction.
CORRECTION (June 23, 2024, 6:40 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the number of robbery of counts Whitecloud pleaded guilty to. He pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, not two.
