‘Maybe you shouldn’t rob banks’: Judge chastises 61-year-old serial bank robber who robbed his final bank while out on compassionate release for asthma

A 61-year-old Washington State man, Clifford Court Uptegrove, will spend the next 23 years and four months in federal prison after admitting to a series of armed bank robberies, despite having previously been granted compassionate release for a similar crime. Uptegrove pleaded guilty to robbing at least 11 banks, with his final heist taking place after his release from an earlier sentence for the same type of offense.

In April, Uptegrove admitted to the armed robbery, and on Thursday, he was sentenced to 280 months in prison. The punishment is a middle ground between the 25-year term requested by federal prosecutors and the 20 years his defense attorney had sought.

Uptegrove’s most recent crime occurred on December 17, 2021, when he targeted an Umpqua Bank branch in Hermiston, Oregon. During the robbery, he brandished a firearm, demanded large-denomination bills, and fled the scene with $13,690 in cash. After attempting to steal a truck to aid in his escape, he was quickly spotted by a local police officer. A brief chase ensued before Uptegrove ultimately surrendered without further resistance.

Uptegrove’s return to a life of crime after his compassionate release highlights the court’s struggle between rehabilitation and recidivism. Prosecutors argued that his actions demonstrated an unwillingness to reform, while his defense attempted to mitigate the sentence, citing age and other personal factors. Nonetheless, Uptegrove’s sentence ensures that he will spend his remaining years in prison, marking the end of a crime spree that spanned several decades.