Urbana man sentenced to prison in bank robbery case

Jeffrey Holbert

Jeffrey Holbert

An Urbana man who pleaded guilty to robbing a Springfield bank will serve more than a year in prison.

Jeffrey Holbert, 55, pleaded guilty to robbery in the third degree and was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison, according to online records by the Clark County Common Pleas Clerk of Court’s office. He was sentenced by Clark County Common Pleas Judge Richard O’Neill.

Holbert received 46 days of credit for time served, according to the court records. He previously pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal.

Springfield police began their investigation when they were called to the bank at around 5 p.m. June 7. They spoke with witnesses who said they saw Holbert approach the bank with his hood up, the affidavit says, even though temperatures were around 80 degrees that day.

Holbert allegedly passed a note demanding money and took off. Holbert then left the bank and began to walk westbound, according to an affidavit.

As officers were gathering evidence, a witness came to the bank and gave them information.“(A police sergeant) advised she spoke to (a witness) who was with Mr. Holbert prior to the bank robbery,” the affidavit says. “They walked into John’s drive-thru together to buy beer. Mr. Holbert tried to steal the beer from the cooler and was stopped by the employee. Mr. Holbert looked to the employee and said ‘hold on, I am going to get some money.’ He then walked out to West Main Street and walked toward the bank.”

A few minutes later Holbert came back, the affidavit says, this time with cash.

“He returned and told (the witness) ‘I just knocked off the bank for $180. I hid the money in a bush behind John’s Drive-Thru,’” the affidavit says. “He walked her around to the east side of the building and pulled the money out of the bush. It was just after that he was located by police.”

About the Author