KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A woman connected to a string of bank robberies in the Kalamazoo area has pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges.
Earlisa Johnson plead guilty to three counts of robbing a financial institution on March 12th. Prosecutors have agreed to drop two other counts at her date of sentencing, but Johnson could still face up to 20 years in prison for each of the charges.
She was arrested on September 11th, 2019 as a suspect in multiple bank and credit union robberies that took place during the preceding months.
Police took her into custody without incident after linking her to an earlier robbery at Fifth-Third Bank on Portage Road and Huntington Bank on West Main Street.
Johnson also admitted to robbing Omni Credit Union on East Cork Street. According to a federal agent, she told a clerk at the location to “put money in the bag, nobody will get hurt, and no alarms please.”
Witnesses have told investigators that the suspect was “polite” and pleasant during her attempts. Across the multiple robberies Johnson can be seen wearing a mask and gloves on surveillance footage, and left each of the scenes in a beige or gold Cadillac Escalade.
Officers were eventually able to locate and arrest the woman by examining footage of her vehicle, and linking that information to other records.
A judge has set Johnson’s sentencing date for June 15th, and she could face decade’s worth of prison time and potential fines for the multiple robbery charges.
