Utah man robs bank of $1 in attempt to go to federal prison
Police in Salt Lake City say a man approached bank tellers at a Wells Fargo and presented a note stating, “Please pardon me for doing this but this is a robbery. Please give me $1.00. Thank you.” (Getty Images)
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SALT LAKE CITY (KTVX) – A man accused of robbing a Salt Lake City bank of $1 on Monday said he wanted to be locked up in federal prison, according to Salt Lake City Police.
Donald Matthew Santacroce, 65, now faces one charge of robbery, a second-degree felony.
On March 6, police say Santacroce approached bank tellers at a Wells Fargo and presented a note stating, “Please pardon me for doing this but this is a robbery. Please give me $1.00. Thank you.”
Police say the tellers agreed and gave Santacroce $1 before asking him to leave. Santacroce reportedly told the tellers he was not leaving and that they should call the police.
According to the affidavit, Santacroce sat down in the bank lobby and waited for police to arrive. While waiting, he allegedly told the victims that they are “lucky he didn’t have a gun because it was taking so long for the police to get there.”
The branch manager then reportedly ushered all of the employees into a back room for their safety and locked the doors.
Police arrived soon after and took Santacroce into custody.
Santacroce allegedly gave officers the $1 he stole from the bank, admitting to the crime and stating that he did so “because he wanted to get arrested and go to federal prison,” the affidavit states.
Additionally, Santacroce told police that if he gets out of jail, he will rob another bank and “ask for more money next time” so that he can be sent to federal prison, the affidavit states.
Records show Santacroce was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. Last week, Santacroce was also arrested in the southern portion of the state during a DUI and careless driving investigation, according to local reports.
News of Monday’s robbery calls to mind a similar incident in 2011, during which a North Carolina man robbed a bank of $1 in an attempt to go to prison to receive health care, ABC News reported at the time. Another similar robbery took place in California the following year, by a homeless man seeking shelter and medicine in jail, the San Diego Union–Tribune reported.
Salt Lake Police did not disclose if they had learned of Santacroce’s motive for wanting to go to prison.
