Gainesville man pleads guilty to federal bank robbery charges

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Patrick Shane Johnson, 51, pleaded guilty in federal court to bank robbery and bank theft. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Another successful prosecution under Operation Take Back America means one less violent criminal on our streets threatening our public safety. Great work by the Gainesville Police Department to quickly apprehend this offender, and great work by my office to aggressively prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.”

Original arrest

On August 27, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a report of a robbery at Wells Fargo Bank (3505 SW Archer Road). The victims said a white male wearing a hospital gown entered the bank and gave a note to two different bank tellers, ordering them to give him money.

One of the victims said the suspect said he would “blow a hole in your head” if he was not given the money. The bank gave the suspect about $1,449 in cash, and he left the area in a red Hyundai.

A traffic stop was conducted on the Hyundai on SW Archer Road within minutes of the robbery, and Johnson, who was wearing a hospital gown, had about $1,258 in cash. No firearm was found on his person or in the car.

According to GPD Public Information Officer Art Forgey, the arresting officer did not know why Johnson was wearing a hospital gown; his booking photo is in a hospital bed because he was taken to the hospital for medical clearance before being transported to the jail.

At the time of the incident, Johnson was on probation out of Marion County for robbery and cocaine possession charges.

Johnson faces up to 50 years in federal prison

Johnson faces up to 50 years’ imprisonment upon sentencing, which is scheduled for April 28, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor

The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department and the Federal Burau of Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.