VALENTINE'S DAY BANK ROBBER SENTENCED

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Austin Lee Levielle, 28, formerly of Colchester, Vermont was sentenced on August 4, 2008, to 33 months in prison for robbing the Merchants Bank in Colchester on Valentine's Day 2007. Chief United States District Judge William K. Sessions III, sitting in Burlington, also sentenced Reynolds to two years of supervised release following his prison sentence, and ordered him to pay restitution.

According to court documents in the case, on February 14, 2007, Levielle walked into the Merchants Bank in Colchester, pulled out a black semi-automatic handgun, pointed it at the head of one of the tellers, and demanded money. The teller quickly gave Levielle over $10,000.00 in cash. Levielle then fled the scene in a vehicle driven by his then girlfriend (and co-defendant), Margret Warren. Levielle was arrested a month later in Shelburne. Levielle had been free on conditions of release pending resolution of his case. Warren, who is currently in custody in New York State on unrelated charges, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

At the sentencing hearing, the United States recommended that Levielle be sentenced within the Federal Sentencing Guidelines which provided for a sentence of between 46 and 57 months. The United States argued that a Guidelines sentence would reflect the seriousness of the offense, serve as a deterrent to those committing similar offenses and take into account the significant impact that the crime on the victims in the case, specifically, the tellers at the bank. Judge Sessions decided not to follow the advisory guideline range and instead imposed a sentence of 33 months. He indicated that although bank robbery was a serious crime, Levielle was entitled to a reduction in his Guidelines sentence because he demonstrated extraordinary rehabilitation and family circumstances.

The United States Attorney commended the Colchester Police and the FBI for their work on this matter. The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Wendy L. Fuller. The defendant was represented by Federal Public Defender Michael L. Desautels.