Crime & Safety
Man Gets 8 Years In Prison After Robberies In Orinda, Bay Area
Duane Makela, 50, robbed two banks in Orinda in 2018, Wells Fargo and Bank of the West.
LAMORINDA, CA — An Oakland man will go to prison for eight years after committing armed bank robberies throughout the Bay Area, including Orinda, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Duane Kurt Makela, 50, pulled the Orinda heists at Wells Fargo and Bank of the West in 2018.
He admitted to receiving $69,000 from 19 robberies or attempted robberies throughout the Bay Area, in places such as Palo Alto, Castro Valley, San Ramon, South San Francisco, Oakland and more, according to the Department of Justice. Makela admitted as part of his plea that in each case, he brandished what looked like a handgun and demanded money.
U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Breyer ordered Makela to pay full restitution and serve three years of supervised release.
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Sixteen police departments and sheriff's offices throughout the Bay Area assisted the Federal Bureau of Investigations with the case.
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