Heard the one about the bank job?

87 years for raider who confessed at a comedy club

An armed bank robber who took to a comedy club stage to confess his crimes has been jailed for 87 years.

Glenn Matthews held up three banks in Macon, Georgia, between December 1999 and January this year, taking a total of nearly $44,000.

In each case he donned a mask, entered the bank, fired a shot into the ceiling and then demanded money,

His lawyer asked for leniency , given his client's very public confession.

Matthews, 43, was arrested on January 12 after telling a crowd of more than 300 at the town's Comedy Cafe that he was the town's so-called bicycle bandit, named because of his getaway vehicle

And he chose the right location. Club owner Mike Smith was once a police officer, and he gave evidence to Macon District Court.

"The audience really burst out laughing," he said. "They thought it was part of a skit. I knew the guy was serious."

According to the Macon Telegraph, Matthews told police he went to the Comedy Cafe to see comedian Rickey Smiley and because he wanted to turn himself into Mayor Jack Ellis, who he had heard would be at the show.

"I wanted to let the people know that I was very sorry about what I did," he told the court. "They found out that it wasn't no joke."

Jailing him for 1,047 months, Judge Wilbur D. Owens Jr told Matthews: "We're going to the top of the guidelines because you pulled a gun."

Matthews faced a sentence anywhere between 24 months and life plus 60 years.

Published: 10 Nov 2001

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