LUBBOCK (WBAP/KLIF News) – A Lubbock area man wanted a BMW and his scheme to buy one got him 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors said on June 7, 2019, 50-year-old Eric Dion Warren drove a dealership loaner car to AIM Bank in Wolfforth, robbed it and tried to use the money to put a down payment on a BMW.
According to court documents, Warren approached a teller and placed a paper fast food bag and demand note on the counter which read: “This is a f—— robbery. Play with me and die. I want $10,000 in 50 and 100 dollar bills now you got 1 minute or I will kill you.”
Mr. Warren then pulled out what appeared to be a gun and said, “I ain’t playing around, I only want 100s and 50s.”
Prosecutors said the teller gave Warren the cash from her drawer including strapped twenty-dollar bills with recorded serial numbers. After getting the money, Warren told the teller, “Don’t push any buttons,” then took off with several thousand dollars.
About 15 minutes after the heist, Warren returned the loaned car to the dealership in Lubbock and tried to use the ill-gotten cash as a down payment.
While Warren was in the dealership’s finance office finalizing the deal, an employee received a phone call informing him of the recent bank robbery and a description of the car that was used.
After the employee put two and two together, he alerted the authorities.
Police arrested Warren with $5,086 in cash and the serial numbers of the money matched the numbers of the bills stolen from AIM bank.
A painted pellet gun, which resembled a real handgun, was found about 10 feet away from Warren at the time of his arrest.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah said Warren pleaded guilty to bank robbery in August of 2020 and was sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge Wesley Hendrix.
Wolfforth is about 12 miles southwest of Lubbock.
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