PORTLAND, OREGON – Mahmoud Ibrahim Gilani, 32, of Portland, was sentenced today to 114 months in federal prison for an armed bank robbery that occurred in Portland on June 5, 2007. Gilani is a citizen of Ethiopia.
U.S. District Judge Ancer L. Haggerty imposed a mandatory seven-year (84-month) term for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and a consecutive 30-month term for the robbery, for a total of 114 months. Gilani has been in federal custody since the day of the robbery.
The robbery occurred at the Rose City Branch of Bank of America, located inside a Safeway store at 6901 NE Sandy Boulevard. Gilani pointed a pistol at tellers and customers, pulled back the gun’s slide, and demanded money. He received $6,903.00 in cash and fled from the building. Portland police officers apprehended Gilani driving alone in a car a short distance away. In a pants pocket they found a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol, loaded with a round chambered. Investigation showed that Gilani had robbed the same bank on April 27, 2007.
Upon completion of the prison sentence, immigration authorities will determine whether he is allowed to remain in the United States.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen F. Peifer.
Department of Justice Press Release
Karin J. Immergut, U.S. Attorney
District of Oregon
Contact: (503) 727-1000
FORUM | 7 Comments
Lately there has been a spike in ethiopians committing crime in USA ranging from murder to armed robbery. this is the second armed bank robbery I read involving ethiopian in the past 2 month (last one in georgia).
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March 21st, 2009 at 6:05 PM
Here is a useless name spoiler! May be he was working for AlQaIda!
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March 21st, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Mahmoud Ibrahim Gilani should remain in the United States after he finished his prison terms: he should not be deported to Ethiopia because Ethiopia at this time is full of the Woyanne people, criminals like him who have been robbing the Ethiopian banks, the Ethiopian gold, the Ethiopian land, the Ethiopian artifacts, and everything Ethiopian and non Ethiopian has been and being robbed by Meles family and his political gangs. So, who need another bank robber while Ethiopia is over populated by such criminals of the Meles political gangs?
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March 21st, 2009 at 8:53 PM
I hope they don’t deport him form prison to open air prison, Ethiopia.
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March 22nd, 2009 at 4:50 AM
I think he should be sent to Ethiopia, he can find high paying job within the EPRDF office. Robbing bank is one branch within the EPRDF department.
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March 23rd, 2009 at 10:43 AM
I applaud you comment number 5
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March 28th, 2009 at 10:19 PM
This is sad,what’s wrong with our ppl.
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June 14th, 2010 at 8:25 AM