A man was sentenced to 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing two downtown Chicago banks in less than a week in 2023.
Jawad Hakeem, 51, of Waukegan, pled guilty in January to two bank robberies and one count of firing a handgun during a violent felony.
On Wednesday, United States District Judge John Kness condemned Hakeem to 19 years in prison.
According to his plea bargain, Hakeem stole a Chase Bank branch in the River North neighborhood at gunpoint on March 3, 2023, and fled with more over $2,000 in cash. Six days later, he held up a Fifth Third Bank branch in the Loop at gunpoint.
During the second heist, after dumping a plastic bag on two bank employees’ workstations and demanding $100,000 in $100 bills, another bank employee dialed 911 and punched the panic button as their coworkers filled the bag with money.
As Hakeem fled with $23,900 in cash, a security guard drew out his revolver, and the two engaged in a gunfight. According to Hakeem’s plea deal, the guard injured his hand when bullets smashed the bank’s glass windows.
Hakeem dropped roughly $10,450 in cash while fleeing the scene, which the bank was able to retrieve.
Three days after the second heist, Hakeem checked into the Best Motel at 65th and King Drive in Chicago, but did not check out and left several items behind, including the revolver he used in both robberies.
According to the accusations, the FBI was able to link Hakeem to the Fifth Third Bank robbery because he gave his phone number to a woman outside the bank shortly before the crime, and she recognized him from news coverage of the robbery.
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