Clippard sentenced to 20 years for bank robbery

[June 09, 2018]  On May 29, 2018, Ronnie D. Clippard was sentenced to 20 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for Aggravated Robbery, a class 1 felony, with 3 years of mandatory supervised release. The sentence is a result of a fully negotiated plea agreement.

On April 17, 2017, bank tellers at the State Bank of Lincoln, 818 Woodlawn Road, Lincoln reported that an African-American male wearing sunglasses and a hooded sweatshirt entered the branch demanding cash from each teller. Although no one observed a firearm, the male repeatedly threatened to shoot those who did not comply with his demands. Tellers yielded to the demands. Once the male exited the bank, police were called.

Lincoln Police immediately began an investigation. As part of that investigation, police obtained a description of the suspect vehicle. Sangamon County law enforcement, in cooperation with this investigation, located a vehicle matching that description and pursued. The suspect vehicle fled from police until the vehicle crashed into a basketball pole of a residence in a Springfield neighborhood. Ronnie D. Clippard was identified as the driver and sole occupant of that vehicle. Lincoln Police searched the vehicle locating a large amount of U.S. currency. No firearm was located on Clippard’s person or in the vehicle. During questioning by Lincoln Police, Clippard admitted to committing the robbery at the State Bank of Lincoln earlier that day.

“Everyone in this situation responded as they should. The State Bank of Lincoln employees acted calmly and appropriately by yielding to the demands and avoiding any violence and also by immediately calling the police and providing detailed statements. The Lincoln Police responded quickly, and with the cooperation of Sangamon County law enforcement, apprehended Ronnie Clippard the same day as the robbery,” state Jonathan Wright, Logan County State’s Attorney. “Even the citizens of Lincoln did their part. Apparently, Ronnie Clippard inadvertently dropped some of the stolen cash as he ran to his vehicle. Those who found the cash in the street turned it over to the Lincoln Police,” continued Wright. “It is my understanding that – between the Lincoln Police and private citizens – the State Bank of Lincoln recovered all the U.S. currency that was stolen.”

Clippard has been in pretrial detention at the Logan County Jail since his arrest. Aggravated Robbery is a class 1 felony. Due to Clippard’s prior criminal history, his sentence was elevated to a class X offender.

[Jonathan C. Wright
Logan County State’s Attorney]