Opinion ID: 4270652
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Elements of Armed Bank Robbery

Text: Count One charged that Benitez did knowingly by force and violence and intimidation, take and cause to be taken from the person and presence of bank employees, certain property and money, that is United States currency in the approximate amount of $12,824.00, belonging to and in the care, custody, control, management, and possession of Iberia Bank . . . and in committing said offense, [Benitez] did assault and 2 Case: 16-10476 Date Filed: 04/27/2018 Page: 3 of 24 put in jeopardy the life of another person by the use of a dangerous weapon, that is a firearm. For the sake of clarity and brevity, we later on refer to “that is a firearm” as the “firearm phrase.” The elements of armed bank robbery are: (1) the defendant knowingly took money in the care, custody, control, management, or possession of a federally insured bank from or in the presence of the person described in the indictment; (2) by means of force and violence or by means of intimidation; and (3) knowingly assaulted a person or put a person’s life in jeopardy by using a “dangerous weapon or device” while stealing the property or money from the bank. 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a), (d); see also Eleventh Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions (Criminal Cases) 2010, Judicial Council of the Eleventh Circuit, Instruction 76.2 (June 21, 2010). 1 Under this Circuit’s precedent, a toy gun or a replica of a firearm constitutes a “dangerous weapon or device” for purposes of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(d). United States 1 In relevant part, the federal armed bank robbery statute provides that: (a) Whoever, by force and violence, or by intimidation, takes, or attempts to take, from the person or presence of another, or obtains or attempts to obtain by extortion any property or money or any other thing of value belonging to, or in the care, custody, control, management, or possession of, any bank, credit union, or any savings and loan association ... Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. (d) Whoever, in committing, or in attempting to commit, any offense defined in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, assaults any person, or puts in jeopardy the life of any person by the use of a dangerous weapon or device, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty-five years, or both. 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a), (d) (emphasis added). 3 Case: 16-10476 Date Filed: 04/27/2018 Page: 4 of 24 v. Garrett, 3 F.3d 390, 391 (11th Cir. 1993). What matters is how others perceive the weapon. United States v. Woods, 127 F.3d 990, 993 (11th Cir. 1997) (explaining that “possession of what appears to be a gun during a robbery can play an integral part in the commission of the crime and evidences, in the mind of the victim, an ability to use a weapon”).