Kenny Rogers sang that a gambler needs to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.
He forgot to mention it’s not a good idea to leave a casino to rob a bank. Or to come back to the casino after the robbery and continue gambling.
Kerry Johnson made that teensy-tiny little error last summer. Now it’s a sure bet he will be serving between 5 to 18 years in prison.
The 52-year-old pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery on Wednesday for an August 2 robbery of a bank in Charleston, West Virginia, according to the Charleston Gazette-Journal.
Authorities said Johnson was gambling at the Mardi Gras Casino in Nitro when he got up from the blackjack table and put a $25 chip to hold his spot.
Johnson then went to a bank and gave a note to the teller saying he had a bomb and a weapon, according to the paper.
Johnson left the bank with $5,000, only to go back to the casino and resume his blackjack game, according to the paper.
Johnson was arrested the next day after detectives received an anonymous tip. After searching his residence, investigators found a yellow legal pad matching paper used for the robbery note, as well as a hat similar to one worn by him in a surveillance video, according to WCHS TV.
Detectives also found a large amount of money stuffed into Johnson’s couch. They also recovered $500 of the stolen money from the same table where he had been playing blackjack.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Johnson told the judge he’d taken a few drugs the day of the robbery, but recognized himself after seeing video from the bank, according to the Associated Press.
Johnson will learn how much time he will spend in prison when he’s sentenced on March 2.
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