Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Christmas Eve Armed Bank Robbery, Faces Up to 45 Years and $500,000 Fine

New Orleans, Louisiana – On October 26, 2022, United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that, on October 25, 2022, Devin Chaney (“Chaney ”), age 32, agreed to plead guilty to one count of Armed Bank Robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2113(a) and (d) (Count 9); and one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a) (Count 3).

When pleading guilty to Armed Bank Robbery, the offender faces a maximum sentence of twenty-five years in prison, a term of supervised release of up to five years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment charge of $100.00. When pleading guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery, the offender risks a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment charge of $100.00. In exchange for pleading guilty, the government has agreed to dismiss the remaining counts in the superseding indictment.

Chaney confessed in his plea that on Christmas Eve 2021, he went to the Capital One Bank on Carondelet St. in New Orleans. He gave a demand note to one teller and received some money, but he was displeased with the amount. Chaney then approached a second cashier, brandished a weapon at the teller, and took more money before fleeing the bank. Chaney stole $2,506.00 from Capital One. Furthermore, on December 12, 2021, Chaney approached the Subway sandwich store on North Broad Street in New Orleans, brandished a handgun at the cashier, and demanded the money in the register. Chaney received $600.00 from the cashier.

Sentencing in this case is set for February 21, 2023, before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to prevent violent crime and gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy to strengthen PSN based on the following core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Evans applauded the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Violent Crimes Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this case. Assistant US Attorneys Brandon Long and Charles Strauss are prosecuting this case.