Artesia Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Bank Robbery

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Roman Andrew Poulsen, 40, of Artesia, New Mexico, was sentenced in federal court today to four years and three months in prison for bank robbery. Poulsen pleaded guilty on Jan. 7.

According to the plea agreement and other court records, on July l5, 2021, Poulsen robbed the Washington Federal Bank in Artesia. Poulsen entered the bank and provided a demand note to one of the tellers. The teller placed the money into a bank envelope and gave it to Poulsen, who immediately fled the bank. Following the robbery, Artesia Police officers located Poulsen's vehicle at a Fenn's Country Market. Officers found Poulsen and Lori Crapo, 41, of Sprinville, Utah, at the store and arrested them.

Officers observed video surveillance from the store that showed Crapo putting something onto one of the shelves on a store aisle before she was apprehended. Officers then searched that area of the store and located cash from the robbery hidden behind a box of ice cream cones.

Crapo pleaded guilty on Jan. 4 to misprision of a felony. On April 26 she was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Upon his release from prison, Poulsen will be subject to three years of supervised release.

The Roswell Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Artesia Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy M. Castellano and Aaron O. Joran prosecuted this case.

# # #