ANCHORAGE, Alaska—An Anchorage man is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly robbing a Credit Union 1 branch while claiming he was armed only “with the power and authority of Jesus,” according to Alaska court documents first reported by KTUU.
KTUU reported that Deshalon Jelks, 35, has been charged with first-degree robbery involving use of a weapon, second-degree robbery involving force to compel delivery, second-degree theft and two counts of violating conditions of release. The incident took place at about 5:58 p.m. on Feb. 26 at the Credit Union 1 branch on Debarr Road, where investigators said Jelks handed a teller a note stating, “I have a weapon. And that weapon I am armed with the power and authority of Jesus Christ. Empty the drawer into an envelope do not set off the alarm.”
According to KTUU, the teller complied and handed over cash in an envelope that included a bait bill and tracker. Once the bait bill was removed from the till, it triggered a silent alarm to Anchorage Police Department dispatch, and officers tracked Jelks to a Costco across the street from the credit union.
KTUU said officers identified Jelks at the Costco wearing the same clothes seen on surveillance footage from the robbery. Police reported that when they approached him, a brief confrontation followed and a “large amount” of cash spilled to the floor, including the bait bill tracking device.
During an interview with police Jelks admitted he entered Credit Union 1 and asked for money, and said he told the teller he was “armed with the authority of Jesus Christ,” while denying he claimed to have a literal weapon. Investigators also noted he was wearing an ankle monitor and later said a search of his phone suggested he had been attempting to obtain methamphetamine around the time of the robbery. KTUU reported Jelks is being held at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.