A man who told investigators he robbed banks to pay for his daughter’s therapy instead spent the proceeds on shopping, food purchases, and a trip to Las Vegas, according to federal prosecutors . A judge has sentenced German Campos Jr., 26, of Franklin Park, to 14 years in prison for robbing six banks in the Chicago suburbs.
Campos pled guilty to federal bank robbery and firearm charges in March, and the sentence was issued on Wednesday by US District Judge Thomas M. Durkin.
According to authorities, Campos robbed five U.S. Bank locations and one BMO Bank between October 2023 and August 2024, stealing more than $52,000 before being arrested.
In a sentencing brief, prosecutors stated that Campos used a handgun in all but one holdup, “including pointing that gun into victims’ faces over and over again.”
The spree began on October 18, 2023, when Campos entered a U.S. Bank in Schaumburg wearing a mask, brandished a black revolver, and demanded money before ordering the cashier to allow him behind the counter. Campos handed the banker a bag and watched as she emptied her cash drawer into it before fleeing with around $6,991, according to prosecutors.
Two months later, Campos went after a US bank in Elmhurst. According to prosecutors, he handed a teller a note demanding money and threatening to shoot them if they didn’t cooperate. He fled with about $5,532.
On March 6, 2024, Campos returned to the Schaumburg bank, took a revolver from his waistband, aimed it at the staff, and demanded money. Before fleeing, the crew had loaded his suitcase with around $14,662.
On June 13, 2024, Campos returned to the Elmhurst location with an Under Armour backpack in one hand and a revolver in the other. After placing the rucksack on the counter, he demanded money from a teller and fled with about $4,925, according to prosecutors.
Less than two months later, on August 9, 2024, Campos stole a BMO bank in Park Ridge. He allegedly grabbed a black handgun from his Under Armour backpack, placed it on the counter with the barrel facing the teller, and demanded money. He fled with about $3,858.
The final and most complex robbery took place on August 28, 2024, at a US Bank in Niles.
Campos allegedly entered with a weapon and an Under Armour backpack, pointing the firearm at two employees and ordered them into the bank’s vault room. There, they met another staff and a customer. Prosecutors claimed Campos held all four persons while carrying a handgun and demanding money.
After an employee stated that the cash was kept in teller drawers rather than the vault, Campos summoned everyone to the lobby. Campos directed everyone back into the vault area after one employee held open his rucksack and two others filled it with $16,320 from their drawers. Prosecutors claimed he then attempted to lock them inside by closing the outer metal vault door before departing.
About three weeks later, investigators apprehended Campos. During a check of his flat, officials discovered a Beretta M9 9-millimeter handgun, which prosecutors believe was used in the crimes.
Although Campos had no past criminal record, prosecutors maintained that the crimes were repeated and escalated, necessitating a significant jail sentence.
They also questioned Campos’s justification for the robberies. According to authorities, Campos said after his detention that he committed the offenses in order to pay for his daughter’s therapy. However, a study of his bank records revealed that the stolen money was spent on food, shopping, and a trip to Las Vegas, according to the sentencing memorandum.
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