SAN DIEGO—A violent bank robber—whose string of heists included credit unions and netted nearly $400,000—was sentenced this week to more than 488 years in prison, marking him as one of the most prolific offenders in San Diego County history, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
Larry Lightning Jr., 45, was found guilty in April by a San Diego Superior Court jury on 30 felony counts, including robbery, kidnapping, and assault with a deadly weapon.
The charges stemmed from four violent takeover-style robberies carried out between 2019 and 2022 at financial institutions in Escondido, Scripps Ranch, Kearny Mesa, and Carlsbad. Lightning committed three of the heists with accomplices and one on his own. His targets included branches of California Coast Credit Union and San Diego County Credit Union.
Masked and armed, the robbers leapt over counters, physically assaulted tellers, and forced employees to open vaults at gunpoint—fleeing each time with trash cans stuffed with cash and using previously stolen vehicles as getaways. In total, they stole nearly $390,000, the San Diego Union-Tribune said.
The robberies left a lasting impact on victims, with at least two bank employees never returning to work, the Union-Tribune noted.
Judge Polly Shamoon handed down the 488-year, eight-month sentence, effectively ensuring Lightning will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
“This defendant orchestrated a terrifying crime spree that put the lives of bank workers and community members in danger,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement. “Thanks to the dedicated work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, he has been held accountable for his crimes and the fear and harm he caused. While the defendant proved elusive for years, law enforcement never gave up its work to solve this string of crimes.”