Community Corner
'Tri-Cities Bandit' and Accomplice Charged in Connection With Bank Robberies
Ernest Viana was charged by a federal court Tuesday in connection with 12 robberies and could face a sentence of up to 240 years in prison.
Two men were indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday for their roles in a string of robberies known as the "Tri-Cities Bandit" series.
Ernest Viana, 39, and Oleg Gorokhovsky, 42, were arrested on Aug. 19 by deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, following a bank robbery in Westlake Village.
On Aug. 12, Viana robbed the Grandpoint Bank on San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood, according to the indictment (See attached).
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Viana has been charged with 12 counts of bank robbery, Gorokhovsky with four counts of aiding and abetting a bank robbery.
Gorokhovsky is believed to be the get-away driver for four of the robberies.
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