Bank robber seeks maximum punishment at his favorite federal prison
Chris Peak. Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
A 65-year-old bank robber told a federal judge in Florida Thursday that he didn’t like life outside of prison and he wanted the maximum sentence.
Chris Peak said he wanted to serve the time at his favorite federal prison and he hoped to die there, the Sun Sentinel reports.
Peak explained that prison doctors told him he had six months to live, but he has outlived the prediction by 2½ years, according to the Sun Sentinel account. “I’d like to ask Your Honor to sentence me to the max—63 months—and give me a little hope,” he said.
The article describes Peak as a “serial bank robber” who was first convicted in 1973. He has served several lengthy sentences, and his longest period outside of prison appears to be three years. He was most recently released from prison in April 2016. During that time, he said, he asked to be returned to a medical center for federal prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.
The prosecutor accused Peak of “gaming the system” and said the robbery had placed people in danger, including the bank teller and the driver of a cab who took Peak to and from the bank. According to the prosecutor, Peak had a knife that he used to threaten the teller and the driver, who managed to break the knife and throw the blade out the window.
U.S. District Judge James Cohn of Fort Lauderdale gave Peak the maximum sentence, but said the Bureau of Prisons would decide where Peak would be incarcerated.
