Man guilty of robbery at Colorado bank sentenced to prison, has "extensive criminal record" courts say

A man found guilty of robbing a Colorado bank in 2024 will now serve 22 years in prison.

Octavio Alan Rivas Morales took a plea deal after he was charged with walking into the Independent Bank at 501 N. Wilcox Street in Castle Rock while brandishing a gun and demanding money. Authorities said he fired a round into the floor to frighten staff and customers, then left with approximately $2,000 in cash.

One of the bank tellers said Rivas Morales came to the bank to cash a check several days prior to the robbery and they recognized him. When authorities checked security footage, staff were able to look up his transaction and identify him. He was arrested in Johnstown the following day.

He pleaded guilty to five counts of aggravated robbery as a crime of violence as part of a plea agreement with a maximum sentence of 22 years in prison. The judge said that Rivas Morales posed an extreme danger to the victims and the community, and sentenced him to the full 22 years.

The 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office said that Rivas Morales, who is from Mexico, has an "extensive criminal record" and had previously been deported and convicted of re-entry.