United States v. Ronald Gene Sears, United States of America v. Chandra Werner, United States of America v. Hubert Strozyk

Sears, Werner and Strozyk separately appeal from their respective judgments of conviction and sentence for bank robbery and kidnapping, 18 U.S.C. § 2113 (a), (d) and (e), entered by the District Court on May 28, 1980. Count I charged all three defendants with the robbery of the Orangebelt Federal Savings and Loan Association in San Bernardino, California, and with a kidnapping arising out. of the same incident. Count II contained similar charges against Sears and Werner arising out of the robbery of the Bank of America in Victorville, California. The separate appeals were consolidated for hearing.

Before trial, Strozyk moved for severance of offenses and defendants. The court severed Counts I and II, but ordered that Strozyk, Sears and Werner be tried together on Count I. The court denied Werner’s motion to suppress evidence seized at the time of her arrest, but ordered suppression of all statements made by her after her arrest.

The jury found each defendant guilty as charged on Count I. We note jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and affirm.

THE FACTS

In the early morning hours of July 21, 1978, the Assistant Vice President of the Orangebelt Savings and Loan Association, John…