SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA
Two men who participated in a series of armed bank robberies attributed to the “Bladed Bandit” because one of the robbers brandished a large knife plead guilty in federal court to multiple counts of armed robbery, according to officials.
Chad Dupape, 29, of Fountain Valley, and Vincent Edward Wilson, 53, of Long Beach, pleaded guilty Monday to committing the robberies.
Both men are facing up to 25 years in prison for each bank robbery.
The two men are scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 20 and Nov. 10.
During a hearing in federal court, Dupape admitted to committing four armed bank robberies and attempted bank robberies:
· A January 2 robbery of a Chase Bank branch in Seal Beach in which he obtained more than $21,000
· A January 16 attempted robbery of a Farmers & Merchants Bank branch in Long Beach
· A January 16 attempted robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Fountain Valley
· A January 18 robbery of a U.S. Bank branch in Fountain Valley
Dupape admitted that during one of those robberies, he had displayed a knife, and during another, he had shown a black handgun to the teller.
Wilson pleaded guilty to the Chase Bank and U.S. Bank robberies, admitting that he had driven Dupape to both of those robberies and that he had acted as the look-out for the Chase Bank robbery.