Stephen Hunt Sentenced to Over 146 Years in Federal Prison
DENVER, COLORADO – LAWFUEL – Legal Newswire – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that STEPHEN VINCENT HUNT was sentenced by Chief Judge Edward W. Nottingham in United States District Court to 1760 months in prison for six counts of armed bank robbery and six counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence that occurred in the Denver Metropolitan area from January 12, 2005 through February 1, 2006. The defendant was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution and $1200 in special assessments.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on January 12, 2005, STEPHEN VINCENT HUNT, robbed the Key Bank at 2305 S. Colorado Boulevard in Denver. The defendant donned a ski mask and charged into the bank, wielding a two-tone silver and black 9 millimeter semiautomatic handgun. Hunt fired a shot at two employees, destroying a computer monitor. He then threw two plastic bags at a teller and demanded money. The victim complied. The defendant fled the scene in an older model maroon Cadillac. Subsequently, agents found the two-tone silver and black 9 millimeter handgun in the defendant’s locked storage unit at his residence. A forensic scientist of the Denver Police Department Crime Lab performed ballistic analysis of the bullet and casing recovered from the January 12, 2005 robbery. The recovered bullet and casing matched the gun found in the defendant’s storage unit.
On November 1, 2005, Hunt went into the World Savings Bank at15301East Hampden Avenue in Aurora brandishing the same two-tone silver and black handgun. Again, the defendant was wearing a black ski mask. He pulled two plastic grocery bags out of a backpack and threw them at two tellers, demanding money at gunpoint. The tellers complied. The defendant fled on a silver motorcycle down. An Aurora police officer was in the area on an unrelated call and noticed the defendant speeding away from the robbery and gave chase. The officer was unable to catch Hunt, however, the officer was able to recover the defendant’s black ski mask. Later testing performed by the Denver Police Department (DPD) Crime Lab showed that the major source DNA on the recovered ski mask was the defendant’s. Agents eventually found the defendant’s silver motorcycle at his mother’s residence which is located approximately three miles away from this bank.
On November 17, 2005, Hunt went into the Key Bank at 2305 S. Colorado Boulevard in Denver brandishing the same two-tone silver and black handgun. Again, the defendant was wearing a black ski mask. He pulled two plastic grocery bags out of a backpack and threw them at a teller and demanded money at gunpoint. The victim complied. She also gave the defendant a dye pack. The defendant fled in his beige/gold colored Acura that he had parked near the bank. When he did, he accidentally dropped one of his gloves. Later testing by the DPD Crime Lab showed that the DNA on the glove belonged to Hunt. Subsequently, it was discovered that the defendant’s car had a special license plate that matched the color description given by a witness who saw him fleeing after the robbery.
On December 6, 2005, Hunt, along with another unknown male, rushed into the Bank of the West at 2050 S. Downing in Denver brandishing handguns. Hunt used the same two-tone silver and black handgun as he used in his other robberies. Again, the defendant was wearing a black ski mask. He used a plain black backpack and had plastic grocery bags inside. The defendant demanded money at gunpoint from two tellers. Both tellers complied with the defendant’s demands. Witnesses noted that Hunt had white “I-Pod” style headphones; was dressed in ski clothes; and had on new Timberland style boots. Subsequently, agents found a black ski mask, scanner and white headphones at his apartment. At the defendant’s mother’s house, agents found ski pants that he used in the robbery, matching a distinctive white emblem on the leg with the surveillance photos. Agents also found Hunt’s new Timberland boots used during the robbery at his mother’s house.
On February 1, 2006, Hunt went into the Key Bank at 5501 South Broadway in Littleton brandishing the same two-tone silver and black handgun. Again, the defendant was wearing a black ski mask. He pulled two plastic 7-11 grocery bags out of a backpack and threw them at two tellers, demanding money at gunpoint. They complied, however, he left that money and plastic 7-11 grocery bag behind. Subsequently, agents found a stack of new plastic 7-11 grocery bags in the defendant’s car.
Later that same day, on February 1, 2006, Hunt went into the Key Bank at 7940 South Broadway in Littleton brandishing the same two-tone silver and black handgun. Again, the defendant was wearing a black ski mask. He pulled two plastic 7-11 grocery bags out of a backpack and threw them at two tellers, demanding money at gunpoint. They complied. When Hunt fled with the money, he left one of the plastic 7-11 grocery bags behind. Later testing by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation showed that the DNA on the bag belonged to Hunt. This bag was the same as the stack of new plastic 7-11 grocery bags found in Hunt’s car.
After a two week trial before Chief United States District Court Judge Edward Nottingham, a jury convicted Hunt on all twelve counts of Armed Bank Robbery and Using a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dave Conner and Greg Holloway. This case was investigated by the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, which includes agents and detectives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Denver Police Department, Aurora Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office among others. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab, the Littleton Police Department, and the Denver Police Department Crime Lab also took part in the investigation.
