An Anchorage man, James Surrells, has been sentenced to over 13 years in prison for robbing a bank while on supervised release from a previous federal bank robbery conviction. Surrells, 54, will also serve three years on supervised release following his prison term.
Court documents reveal that on July 13, 2024, Surrells entered a local credit union and demanded money from the teller, claiming he had a gun. The teller handed over $450 before Surrells fled the scene. He was later apprehended in the backyard of a residence with the help of a crisis negotiator.
Surrells' criminal history includes a previous bank robbery in 2014 where he also claimed to have a gun and received $1,210 from another teller. Convicted in 2015 for this crime, he served nine years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. After being released and starting probation in July 2023, Surrells absconded four months into his supervised release until his arrest for the 2024 robbery.
On October 21, 2024, Surrells pleaded guilty to one count of credit union robbery. His sentence comprises a 144-month term for the latest robbery and an additional consecutive 16-month term for violating his prior supervised release conditions.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman stated: "Mr. Surrells is a career criminal who chose to rob a bank while on supervised release for a previous bank robbery conviction and will now spend over a decade behind bars." He emphasized that perpetrators with extensive criminal histories who continue committing crimes will be held accountable.
Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office remarked: "James Surrells brazenly robbed a bank within a year of being released from prison for a previous bank robbery conviction." She added that the FBI's Safe Streets Task Force would continue working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold criminals accountable.
The case was investigated by the FBI Anchorage Field Office with assistance from the Anchorage Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana Weber along with former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Sherman.