SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO
Man sentenced in Las Cruces bank robbery
Jacob Martinez, 32, to serve 3 years in federal prison
Published
LAS CRUCES 鈥� A man who pleaded guilty to robbing more than $3,500 from a bank close to the Las Cruces Convention Center in 2025 has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Jacob Ezekiel Martinez, 32, entered the University Avenue branch of Pioneer Bank on Aug. 4, 2025, according to federal prosecutors and Las Cruces police detectives, clad entirely in black including a mask partially covering his face.
A handwritten note police said Martinez passed to a teller said he was 鈥渉eavily armed鈥� with a gun and an explosive device. The note demanded cash and warned, 鈥淚 am not alone and we have information about every employee.鈥�
Martinez left the bank after an employee handed over $3,513 in cash, according to a 2025 federal complaint.
Las Cruces police subsequently identified Martinez with the help of security footage that showed a distinctive tattoo, matching him with previous jail records. The following day, police found Martinez outside a Las Cruces residence, with his head freshly shaved, among witnesses who said Martinez had spoken of possessing $3,500 in cash, the complaint stated.
Martinez pleaded guilty to a single count of bank robbery in March. At a Sept. 3 hearing, U.S. District Judge Sarah Davenport sentenced him to 37 months in federal custody, meaning he will not be eligible for early parole, to be followed by three years of supervised of supervised release, according to court records. Davenport also ordered restitution of the $3,513.
The New Mexico U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office announced the sentencing in a news release Monday.
Algernon 顿鈥橝尘尘补蝉蝉补 is the Journal鈥檚 southern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at adammassa@abqjournal.com.
