Suspects receive sentencing in Bay Area bank robbery series
On February 11, 2013, at approximately 1:40 p.m. Fremont Police Officers responded to a robbery that had just occurred at the Bank of the West located at 39533 Paseo Padre Parkway in Fremont. Two suspects entered the bank with bandanas partially covering their faces, simulated weapons and demanded cash. They ran from the bank with stolen US currency and were seen fleeing in a maroon colored pickup truck. The suspect description and vehicle description were broadcast to adjacent jurisdictions.
Shortly after the robbery, an alert Newark resident reported seeing a suspicious vehicle in the area of the EZ8 Motel in Newark. The citizen provided additional information regarding the driver and passenger, including that they were last seen running towards the EZ8 Motel. Fremont Police Patrol Officers and Crimes Against Persons Detectives worked with the Newark Police Department to quickly surround the motel and determine the specific room that the suspects had fled into.
The joint Union City/Newark SWAT team responded to assist with the apprehension at the motel. After five hours of negotiations, the final suspect exited the motel room and was taken into custody. The arrested suspects were identified as Jeremiah Martin (37 year old/San Francisco resident) and Michael Luckert (43 year old/San Francisco resident). Evidence further connecting the suspects to the crime was located on the suspects and in the motel room.
After learning that these suspects were possibly involved in several bank robberies committed throughout the greater Bay Area between December 2012 and February 2013, Fremont Detectives worked jointly with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), San Rafael Police Department Detectives, San Francisco Police Department Detectives and Dublin Police Department Detectives to investigate the series. It was through this collaborative effort that the case was charged in federal court.
The suspects were believed to have committed the following bank robberies:
- Citibank robbery in San Rafael, Ca on December 20, 2012
- Mechanics Bank robbery in San Francisco, Ca on February 4, 2013
- California Bank of Trust robbery in San Francisco on February 8, 2013
- US Bank robbery in Dublin, Ca on February 9, 2013
- Bank of the West robbery in Fremont, Ca on February 11, 2013
Both suspects later pled guilty to their involvement in the bank robbery series. On October 10, 2013, suspect Michael Luckert was sentenced to 5 years and 3 months in federal prison for his involvement in the bank robbery series (United States District Court; Oakland, Ca). On October 14, 2014, suspect Jeremiah Martin was sentenced to 10 years and 5 months in federal prison for his involvement in the bank robbery series (United States District Court; Oakland, Ca).
