SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — An Iowa man faces federal charges connected with a Sioux Falls bank robbery earlier this year.
Phillip Christopher Hanten, 40, from Waterloo, Iowa, has been indicted by a grand jury for bank robbery.
The charges stem from an attempt to take money from a Wells Fargo Bank in May.
If convicted, Hanten faces 20 years in federal prison plus a fine of $250,000.
There is no trial date yet.
Below is the news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Waterloo, Iowa, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Bank Robbery. Phillip Christopher Hanten, age 40, was indicted on June 2, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on June 15, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on May 8, 2021, Hanten took and attempted to take money belonging to the Wells Fargo Bank, located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a bank whose deposits were then insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
The charge is merely an accusation, and Hanten is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Sioux Falls Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Hanten was returned to state custody pending trial. A trial date has not been set.