Cape man sentenced to three years for bank robbery
By TIFFANY REPECKI
A Cape Coral man accused of robbing a Fort Myers bank received three years in prison.
On Oct. 7, John Paul Cross, 34, of 3218 Santa Barbara Blvd., pleaded no contest to felony robbery in connection to the Aug. 29 robbery of the Wells Fargo Bank, at 9250 Six Mile Cypress Parkway.
He was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by three years of probation.
“He also had to pay court costs and fines,” Samantha Syoen, with the State Attorney’s Office, said.
Assistant State Attorney Nicole Mirra prosecuted the case.
Assistant Public Defender Shakia Burnam represented Cross.
She did not return messages seeking comment on the case.
At 4:08 p.m., Aug. 29, Fort Myers police responded to a robbery at the bank. A man had entered and displayed a note to a teller demanding money. The man then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.
No one inside the bank was hurt during the incident, according to officials.
Authorities released surveillance photos of the robber, and numerous people identified him as Cross through Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers, police reported. A warrant was obtained for his arrest.
Further investigation led detectives to the Tampa area, where Cross was located and detained.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office assisted.