The man accused of robbing the U.S. Bank in Colusa and Umpqua Bank in Los Molinos will now face federal charges and possibly three times the number of years behind bars. Michael B. Taylor, 54, of Chico, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury on two counts of bank robbery.
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Colusa County District Attorney John Poyner said that even if Taylor was convicted in Colusa and Tehama counties, the most time he would get is seven years. “It’s a big cost savings,” said Poyner. “They can try him for both cases at one time.”
“We’ve been waiting. In my opinion, there was no reason to file charges since he was arrested and in custody in Colusa County,” said Tehama County District Attorney Gregg Cohen, adding he too was pleased the U.S. Attorney’s Office was taking over the case. “He will be exposed to a greater prison sentence,” Cohen said.
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The indictment is a bit of a surprise since the U.S. Attorney’s Office originally indicated it was not interested in prosecuting the case.