Man Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Federal Prison for Robbing Suburban Chicago Banks and Financial Institutions

A man who robbed four banks and a credit unions in the Chicago suburbs has been sentenced to more than seven and a half years in federal prison, the Illinois U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros announced Monday.

Charles Lawler entered the financial institutions and presented demand notes while his friend, Tarandle Lee, waited outside as the getaway driver.

Together, the pair robbed three banks and a credit union, while Lawler also robbed an additional bank by himself.

The robberies were as follows:

- Sept. 22, 2021: Lawler robbed BMO Harris Bank in Naperville, Ill.
- Sept. 28, 2021: Lawler and Lee robbed Old Second Bank in Lisle, Ill.
- Oct. 6, 2021: Lawler and Lee robbed Bank Financial in Westmont, Ill.
- Jan. 3, 2022: Lawler and Lee robbed BMO Harris Bank in Woodridge, Ill.
- April 14, 2022: Lawler and Lee robbed DuPage Credit Union in Downers Grove, Ill.

Lawler, 54, of Villa Park, Ill., was arrested in 2023 and has remained detained in law enforcement custody. He pleaded guilty to the first three robberies and stipulated to his role in the final two. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman sentenced Lawler to seven years and eight months in federal prison.

Lee, 45, of Bolingbrook, Ill., was arrested in 2023 and has remained detained in law enforcement custody. A federal jury in Chicago earlier this year convicted Lee on all four robbery counts against him. Lee’s sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Lawler’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.

Valuable assistance was provided by the Downers Grove, Ill. Police Department, Bellwood, Ill. Police Department, Woodridge, Ill. Police Department, and Villa Park, Ill. Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandro G. Ortega and Jonathan L. Shih.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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