Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Jeremy B White

Man who won $19m in lottery pleads guilty to bank robbery

A one-time lottery winner has pleaded guilty to multiple bank robberies in California.

Two decades after winning $19m (£13.6m) in the California Lottery, according to a Los Angeles Times report, James Allen Hayes pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery.

Over the course of robbing or attempting to rob 11 banks in the Los Angeles last year, Mr Hayes took just under $40,000 (£29,000), according to a plea agreement.

He typically passed a note to bank tellers demanding cash and in some instances threatening them that he had a gun, according to court documents.

Authorities had dubbed Hayes the “seasoned bandit”, a reference to his aged appearance.

“The moniker ‘Seasoned Bandit’ was assigned based on the bandit’s suspected age and grey-white hair”, the FBI said in a press release seeking information.

He was also known was the “PT Cruiser Bandit” because of the car he used in some of the robberies.

As part of his plea agreement, Mr Hayes agreed to forfeit a gold PT Cruiser that he had purchased using proceeds from previous bank robberies, according to the court document.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.