The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado has announced that two Denver men, Mitchell Leland Baca and Jaki Ravion Joseph Martin-Birch, have been sentenced to 224 months and 170 months in prison, respectively. The sentences are related to their involvement in a series of bank robberies in the Denver area.
Baca was found guilty of two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and four counts of bank robbery. Martin-Birch pled guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and four counts of bank robbery.
Court documents indicate that between June 14, 2023, and July 24, 2023, Baca and Martin-Birch committed five bank robberies across Denver and Aurora. During these incidents, they used weapons to intimidate employees into handing over cash. Both men left each scene with substantial amounts.
“Bank robberies are violent, brazen crimes that we will not tolerate,” stated Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “These sentences should send a message to other potential bank robbers that they will be caught and prosecuted.”
FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek commented on the case: "Together, the defendants are responsible for at least five bank robberies involving handguns across the metro area. The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force is uniquely positioned to investigate these types of cross-jurisdictional crimes and leverage federal prosecution to ensure violent offenders are kept off our streets, preventing further harm to the public."
United States District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang handed down the sentences. The investigation was conducted by the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force along with the Denver Police Department. Special United States Attorney Leah Perczak led the prosecution efforts.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department's strategy emphasizes building trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.
Case Number: 23-cr-00370-NYW