Two men from Denver have been given prison sentences by the federal court for their involvement in a series of bank robberies in the Denver metro area in the summer of 2023.
Mitchell Leland Baca, aged 33, admitted to committing four bank robberies, possessing a firearm during two violent crimes, and having a firearm as a felon. Jaki Ravion Joseph Martin-Birch, aged 28, confessed to committing four bank robberies and possessing a firearm during two violent crimes.
Between June 14, 2023, and July 24, 2023, Baca and Martin-Birch carried out robberies in five banks in Denver and Aurora. They used weapons to intimidate staff members into handing over cash during each robbery, managing to escape with thousands of dollars each time, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
“Bank robberies are violent, brazen crimes that we will not tolerate,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch in a statement. “These sentences should send a message to other potential bank robbers that they will be caught and prosecuted.”
Baca was sentenced to 224 months in federal prison, while Martin-Birch was sentenced to 170 months.
“Together, the defendants are responsible for at least five bank robberies involving handguns across the metro area,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek in a statement. “The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force is uniquely positioned to investigate these types of cross-jurisdictional crimes and leverage federal prosecution to ensure violent offenders are kept off our streets, preventing further harm to the public.”
