ORLANDO, FL – A man from Florida, labeled as a “habitual bank robber” by law enforcement, is once again facing incarceration after committing the same offense just a day after his release from prison.
The Department of Justice reports that Timothy Jones, 60, is returning to prison after robbing two banks in the Orlando area within days of his release. Court records indicate that Jones was freed from Putnam County Correctional Facility on June 1, 2022, after completing an eight-year sentence for a bank robbery at a Wells Fargo branch in Orlando.
However, the very next day, Jones couldn’t resist the lure of his old criminal ways. He entered a Truist Bank, situated on the same street as his previous target, and held a bank employee at gunpoint. Jones allegedly threatened to create a “bloodbath” if the bank staff did not hand over $150,000. After receiving $30,000, Jones fled the scene using an employee’s car, according to the DOJ.
The authorities report that Jones’ crime spree did not end there. On June 9, 2022, he entered a SouthState bank in Kissimmee, Florida, and once again threatened the employees with a firearm. After demanding $50,000 and receiving the amount, he made his escape using another employee’s car.
Jones, who had previous robbery convictions in 1995, 2006, and 2013, and had spent the last 18 years behind bars, was arrested later that day. Police found $1,815 in cash on Jones and an additional $47,200 in the stolen vehicle.
Following his arrest, Jones claimed mental incompetence, stating he was unfit to stand trial. However, in May 2023, he wrote a letter to a family member confessing that he was feigning incompetence to “deceive” doctors and the court system in hopes of leniency in his sentencing.
Jones was ultimately sentenced to 25 years in prison on one count of bank robbery and ordered to forfeit $30,000 of unrecovered proceeds from his robberies.