A Utah man was sentenced to seven years’ incarceration after the robberies of two credit unions. He was described as having serious gambling addiction and faced mounting gambling losses, according to recent news reports.
Utah federal Judge Ted Stewart sentenced Kevin Dean Rasband, 36, of Layton, Utah, on April 26 for two counts of bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, the Standard-Examiner, a Utah newspaper reported. The credit unions are located in Kaysville and Farmington, Utah.
Under a deal, Rasband entered a guilty plea and prosecutors dropped a second firearm charge. He must also pay $23,300 in restitution.
After his release from prison, he will be placed under supervision for three years. Rasband is likely to be incarcerated at a prison camp in Colorado as opposed to a prison, the report said.
In one of the robberies, Rasband allegedly held up a Goldenwest Credit Union employee in Kaysville on Feb. 11, 2017. He followed her into the vault. He stole $23,000 before fleeing.
During the other theft, Rasband allegedly robbed the Utah First Credit Union in Farmington on March 29, 2017. He fled with a money bag filled with cash. A dye pack exploded in the bag, and he dropped the bag. A firearm was inside the bag, too. Later, authorities traced the gun back to him.
Rasband displayed a firearm during both holdups. He wore a disguise in at least one of the robberies. No one was injured during the robberies.
Following his arrest, Rasband remained in custody at the Weber County Jail. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in May 2017. Then in October 2019, he plead guilty to three charges.
Starting around 2014, Rasband found he could not stop gambling, the Standard-Examiner reported, citing a document submitted to the court by his federal public defender. Within three years, he lost more than $100,000, the report adds.
Drove to Nevada Casinos
Before his arrest, Rasband was an internal auditor for the Davis County Clerk-Auditor’s Office, the Standard-Examiner said. He spent much of his workday leaving his office, getting into a rental car, and then driving to Nevada.
He often chose to gamble at casinos located in the Wendover, West Wendover, Nevada area. Following the second robbery, Rasband drove to Las Vegas and was close to a breaking point.
Once there, he told his wife over the phone he was going to commit suicide for the wrongdoing and lost money, the report said. She convinced him to surrender to Utah authorities.
Lies, Addiction
Rasband found himself telling lies to conceal his addictive behavior.
Instead of seeking help and trying to change, like many addicted people with substance abuse disorders, Mr. Rasband found new ways to lie and deceive to get what he wanted,” the public defender’s statement added.
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