66-year-old man who robbed the same bank twice goes to prison in ‘sad final chapter’

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A 66-year-old man who robbed the same bank twice – the second time just days after his release from prison – has been sentenced to prison.

John Leon Tipton was sentenced to 12 to 30 years in prison on Wednesday, September 4, for armed robbery. According to police, he robbed a Fifth Third Bank branch at the corner of 28th Street SW and Michael Avenue on March 22.

On August 11, 2022, he robbed the same bank.

In court on Wednesday, Tipton's lawyer said his client was suffering from progressive dementia and that a prison sentence seemed to be “a sad final chapter” for him.

Tipton used a walker to enter and exit the courtroom.

According to court records, he robbed the bank in March, just days after being released from prison on March 7 for the previous robbery.

Judge Christina Elmore found that Tipton had already committed 14 felonies and nine misdemeanors.

Elmore said Tipton instilled fear among bank employees.

The police investigation revealed that Tipton entered the store in March and told a teller he needed cash. Then the conversation turned more serious.

“They told her, 'I have a gun and I'm going to kill you if you don't give me all the money,'” Elmore said.

After Tipton fled with cash, he was tracked down by police in a hotel parking lot the same day. He had some of the stolen cash on him.

Tipton's lawyer said of his client's past that there were certainly good times in his life when he “faithfully served his country.”

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