Chicago man gets 8 years in prison for robbing a bank in Sheldon, IA

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - A man who pleaded guilty to robbing a bank in Sheldon, Iowa has received his prison sentence.

According to a press release, 38-year-old Leon Sutton, a Chicago resident, will spend 8 years in a federal prison. Sutton received the sentence after pleading guilty to one charge of bank robbery.

Sutton’s charge stems from an armed robbery that happened on June 3, 2021, at Iowa State Bank in Sheldon. Authorities say the robbery happened at about 12 p.m. when a man wearing a mask entered the bank. Once inside, the man told the two bank tellers to fill a bag with as much cash as possible, all while threatening them with a firearm.

After the man left with the money, one of the tellers hit the alarm and local authorities responded. The FBI soon took over the investigation and identified Sutton as the robber through security footage and statements from the bank tellers. Sutton was eventually found and arrested in Chicago in March 2023.

After serving his prison sentence, Sutton must serve a 3-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

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