A Colorado bank robber’s whirlwind crime spree came crashing down after four months, landing him at the precipice of a potential century-long prison sentence. Jonathan Martin Bell, 30, was convicted of a string of charges stemming from the hold-up of four Denver-area financial institutions, netting him around $85,000 in the process.
Bell’s reign of terror culminated in Greenwood Village on December 1st. After robbing the fourth bank, he engaged in a reckless high-speed chase with police, exchanging gunfire before ultimately being apprehended at his residence. Authorities tracked him down using a bank-provided GPS device.
Bell did bring a gun to each robbery, according to reports by Denver 7; during the 9-day trial, a jury convicted Bell of:
- 15 counts of aggravated robbery
- Three counts of kidnapping
- Nine counts of menacing
- Four counts of theft
- Reckless endangerment
- Attempted manslaughter
“We are profoundly grateful that no one suffered serious injuries due to this defendant’s reckless actions,” expressed Senior Deputy District Attorney Rebecca Jochum in a press release.
This isn’t Bell’s first rodeo with the law; the Investigators connected Bell to three previous bank robberies, reports Denver 7:
- September 1, 2022 – Commerce Bank in the 15000 block of East Colfax Avenue
- October 3, 2022 – UMB Bank in the 1600 block of East Colfax Avenue
- October 19, 2022 – US Bank in the 2400 block of South Parker Road
“Clearly this defendant has not learned his lesson,” District Attorney John Kellner said in a statement. “In 2016, my office prosecuted Mr. Bell for committing an armed robbery at a Payday loan center. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison, yet he didn’t even serve half of his sentence before being released on parole. We need truth in sentencing reform to ensure dangerous criminals actually serve their sentences.”
Bell’s fate will be sealed in 2024 when he faces sentencing. The conviction carries the potential for over a century (100 years) behind bars.
