Bank robber gets 4 years

Staff report

CLEVELAND

The Youngstown man who pleaded guilty to robbing the Huntington Bank along Mahoning Avenue in Austintown is headed to prison.

Jonathan A. Spikes, 41, of Benita Avenue, was sentenced Thursday afternoon to four years in prison, with three years of probation to follow, federal court officials said.

He also must pay a $100 special assessment as well as $3,213 in restitution to the bank, which was the amount he stole in the Dec. 5 robbery, officials said.

Spikes pleaded guilty March 12 to the federal bank robbery charge, after initially pleading not guilty.

On Dec. 5, Spikes reportedly entered the bank and slipped the Huntington teller a note that read: “This is a robbery. I have a gun.” The teller emptied the till, and Spikes fled on foot, according to police.

Austintown Detective Sgt. Jordan Yacovone in December noted Spikes never showed the gun during the robbery. He only implied he had one.

He was later arrested by agents from the Mahoning County Violent Crimes Task Force.

Investigators said Spikes confessed the robbery after his arrest, telling them he “owed a lot of people money.”