A 23-year-old Houston man was sentenced to 20.5 years in federal prison for robbing Houston banks, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Alamdar S. Hamdani announced.
Malik Johnson pleaded guilty Feb. 23. U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein ordered him to serve 78 months in federal prison for the robberies and 168 months for brandishing of a firearm, a news release said Friday. The sentences will run consecutively for a total prison sentence of 246 months.
Johnson also must serve five years of supervised release after he leaves prison. At sentencing, the judge noted Johnson’s behavior was the violent conduct of a serial bank robber.
Authorities say that on June 29 and Sept. 6, 2022, Johnson entered First Convenience Bank on Mykawa Road and First National Bank on 43rd Street, respectively. In each case, he showed a black pistol and handed the tellers a note demanding money quickly. He threated to hurt them if they did not comply, the news release said. After receiving the money, he left the bank, leaving behind the notes.
Johnson struck again on Oct. 12, 2022, authorities say. He approached a teller at the Woodforest National Bank on Rice Avenue and handed her a similar, threatening note. During this robbery, the teller froze, which prompted Johnson to display a semi-automatic pistol.
The teller eventually gave him money from the drawer. Johnson next demanded money from the neighboring teller. After receiving additional cash, he left the bank. During the robbery, Johnson wore a black Chicago White Sox baseball cap with “Leek” printed on the side.
During the investigation, authorities received information that the bank robber, who was dubbed the “Big Shades Bandit,” was Johnson.
The news release said his Instagram account indicated a connection to the name “leek.”
Authorities said he strongly resembled the bank robbery suspect and had a registered vehicle matching the one seen in surveillance videos at the banks.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Johnson’s home and found the clothing worn during the robberies and a semi-automatic pistol. The news release said Johnson later admitted to all the bank robberies and to using the semi-automatic pistol.
When he was arrested, Johnson was wearing a black Chicago White Sox hat with “Leek” embroidered on the side.
He will stay in custody until he is transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, the news release said.
The FBI investigated the case with help from the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Stotts prosecuted the case.
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