U.S. District Judge Robert Holmes Bell recently sentenced John Boersma, an elderly businessman who robbed a Community Bank in Lake Michigan, Michigan, to three years of imprisonment followed by three years on supervised release. Boersma, a father of seven, stole as much as $7,000 and later admitted that he spent the entire amount playing slots in Las Vegas.
During the robbery, the 73-year-old slots gambler threatened that he would detonate a bomb he pretended he had if bank employees would call the police. Boersma said that he still remembers the fear in the bank workers' eyes, adding that his family is suffering from the terrible consequences of his misdeed. Richard Stroba, the robber's attorney, said that the larceny was a cry for help.
The slot machine-loving thief has also been required to repay the bank as much as $7,135 and carry out 300 hours of community service. In addition, the judge ordered him to undergo counseling. Bell reportedly said that he took into consideration both the seriousness of the crime and the defendant's age and significant health problems.
