MIAMI — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Florida, Southern), published as received.

MIAMI – On Jan. 9, a South Florida multi-convicted felon was sentenced to 324 months, followed by five years of supervised release, for convictions of armed bank robbery, armed credit union robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, while on federal supervised release.

On April 6, 2022, Javonne Wilks, 42, of Miami, Florida, and two co-conspirators entered a bank, in Cooper City, Florida, wearing dark colored skull hats, dark face masks and coveralls, and carrying an AR-15 style long gun and two handguns. Upon entering the lobby, Wilks and his co-conspirators approached two bank tellers who were behind the counter, jumped the counter, and demanded access to the cash drawers and vault. Wilks and his co-conspirators then forced two bank employees to lie face down on the ground at gunpoint. Wilks and his co-conspirators fled after stealing $242,113.

On June 6, 2023, Wilks and a co-conspirator entered a credit union, in Miami Springs, Florida, wearing sweatshirts, long pants, masks and bicycle helmets, and carrying a semiautomatic handgun and a revolver. Wilks and the co-conspirator entered the credit union waving their firearms and ordering the employees to go to the lobby. Wilks and the co-conspirator then ordered one of the tellers and the manager to open the vault at gunpoint and demanded money. After Wilks and his co-conspirator had placed the manager on his knees and patted him down, the teller complied and put money from the vault into Wilks and his co-conspirator’s duffel bag. Then, Wilks and his co-conspirator demanded more money, so another teller put additional money into the duffel bag. Wilks and the co-conspirator fled after stealing around $29,000. Later that day, law enforcement officers arrested Wilks. Inside of Wilks’s vehicle, law enforcement officers found about $11,395 in cash, three coveralls consistent with the ones worn during the bank robbery, and bait money (bills with known serial numbers that are used by banks to aid the tracing of bank robbers) from the credit union robbery.  

In 2005, Wilks was sentenced to 212 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was on federal supervised release when he committed the armed robberies.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith.

FBI Miami investigated the case with assistance from the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Miami Police Department, Miami-Dade Police Department, Miami Gardens Police Department, South Miami Police Department and Miami Springs Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ajay J. Alexander is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge Roberto Delgado is handling asset forfeiture.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60123.

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