Ex-Conroe cop gets long sentence for bank robbery

CONROE, TX Michael E. Tindall received the maximum sentence of 87 months in federal prison without parole followed by three years of probation, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Jose Angel Moreno.

Tindall, a 22-year veteran of the Conroe Police Department, was convicted of one count of bank robbery in March. In addition, the court has ordered Tindall to pay restitution to the bank.

"Our communities depend upon our law enforcement officers to honor their oath to enforce the law and protect our citizens," said U.S. Attorney Moreno. "When an officer violates that oath by robbing a bank as Tindall, he not only violated the public order, he violated the public's trust and the security of the employees that regarded him as a protector. Through the considerable efforts of the Conroe Police Department, the FBI and the trial team, Tindall has been held accountable and justice is served."

Tindall was arrested in March 2009 following an investigation into the Aug. 11, 2008 robbery of the First Bank of Conroe, where he had been working a second job as a security officer for several years.

Investigators say he walked into the lobby wearing an opaque motorcycle helmet and demanded the tellers give him money from the "bottom drawers" behind the counter. He then drove off in a silver Chevrolet Malibu, which investigators later determined was rented and returned 30 minutes after the robbery.

Employees at the bank were able to lead investigators to Tindall because his voice sounded familiar to them and they were suspicious of the robber's use of "insider" bank terms.

Detectives say Tindal stole about $28,000 from the bank and had deposited $5,000 of it in another bank account an hour after the robbery.

During the hearing Friday morning, two of the bank tellers who were present during the robbery told the court that the robbery has left them fearful and distrustful.

Tindall is expected to remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he's transferred to a Bureau of Prisons facility where he will serve out his prison sentence.