A man from Port St. Lucie has been sentenced to 15 years in prison following his guilty plea to bank robbery, marking his third conviction for such an offense. David Abram Ziesel, aged 45, admitted to robbing a bank in Fellsmere, Florida.
Court records reveal that in January 2024, Ziesel entered the bank with his face and head covered, loudly declaring, “This is a robbery!” He instructed the bank employees to fill his pillowcase with cash before fleeing the scene. Law enforcement quickly identified Ziesel's vehicle as it sped over 100 miles per hour. The ensuing high-speed chase led officers down I-95 into Fort Pierce, where Ziesel maneuvered through traffic dangerously by driving on the wrong side of the road and ignoring traffic signals. The chase concluded when Ziesel crashed into another vehicle and came to a halt against a power pole.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Miami Field Office.
The FBI Miami conducted the investigation with support from the Fellsmere Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, and Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover is handling the prosecution.
Further details can be accessed via court documents available on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida or through PACER under case number 24-cr-14009.