A Villa Park man has been sentenced to seven years and eight months in federal prison for robbing five different financial institutions in the Chicagoland area, one of which was a Naperville bank.
U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman handed down the sentence to Charles Lawler, 54, on Tuesday, July 15, according to a news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Northern District of Illinois Office.
Four banks and one credit union targeted in robberies
Lawler, along with Bolingbrook resident Tarandle Lee, robbed three banks and a credit union together, with Lee acting as the getaway driver and Lawler delivering demand notes to employees in the financial institutions.
The four spots they robbed were:
- Old Second Bank, Lisle, on Sept. 28, 2021
- Bank Financial, Westmont, on Oct. 6, 2021
- BMO Harris Bank, Woodridge, on Jan. 3, 2022
- DuPage Credit Union, Downers Grove, on April 14, 2022
Lawler kicked off the bank robbing spree on his own, robbing the BMO Harris Bank in Naperville on Sept. 22, 2021. He was arrested for the crimes in 2023, and pleaded guilty to the Naperville robbery, along with the Lisle and Westmont incidents. He also “stipulated to his role” in the Woodridge and Downers Grove incidents, according to the press release.
Accomplice remains in custody while awaiting sentencing
Lee, 45, has been detained in law enforcement custody since his arrest in 2023. He was convicted earlier this year on all four of the robbery charges against him. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
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