Long Beach Parolee Admits to Robbing Fountain Valley Bank, Gets 4 Years

A parolee from Long Beach pleaded guilty today to robbing a Citibank branch in Fountain Valley and was immediately sentenced to four years in prison.

John David McLaughlin, 36, pleaded guilty to one count each of second-degree robbery and making criminal threats and two counts of second-degree burglary.

A tip from a witness from a nearby bank, who saw a suspect acting suspiciously prior to the April 19 Citibank holdup, led investigators to McLaughlin, who had been recently released from prison and was on parole for a 2010 robbery conviction, according to police.

When investigators arrested McLaughlin, they recovered a portion of the money taken in the Citibank holdup at 17400 Brookhurst St., police said.

--City News Service