SAND LAKE, Mich. — A Mecosta County man has been sentenced to three years of probation and time served after robbing a bank for $335 in Sand Lake late last year.
Christopher Michael Moore, 25, appeared in court and received his sentence for his role in the December 30, 2024 robbery of Independent Bank, located at the intersection of East Lake Street and Northland Drive. Moore was also ordered to pay fees. Before sentencing, he apologized to his family, bank employees, and bystanders who witnessed the incident.
Moore was charged alongside his younger brother, 19-year-old Nicholas James Moore, with bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery. The pair were arrested on New Year’s Eve after a police investigation linked them to the crime through surveillance footage, vehicle registration records, and social media photos.
The Robbery
According to police, around noon on Dec. 30, Christopher walked into the bank and handed the teller a note demanding money and instructing them not to use tracers or dye packs. The teller complied, handing over $335, after which Moore fled south on foot along the White Pine Trail.
Investigation Unfolds
Detectives reviewed surveillance video showing the suspect and a second man at a Cedar Springs Meijer just before the robbery. The pair were seen entering a maroon Chevrolet Tahoe registered to Nicholas. Photos from the Secretary of State and social media matched Christopher as the robbery suspect.
Search warrants were executed at locations in Stanwood and Big Rapids, leading to the brothers’ arrest.
During police interviews, both brothers confessed, stating they had discussed robbing the bank for weeks due to financial hardship. Nicholas said they scoped out the bank several times and chose it because it was in a “small town” and appeared to be an “easy escape.”
They also admitted to purchasing masks and duct tape from Meijer to hide Christopher’s tattoos and identity. Nicholas told investigators he used part of his share to repay his fiancée’s father, while Christopher said he had already spent the money.
A Crime of Desperation
Christopher described himself as the “mastermind” and said he didn’t want his younger brother to get into too much trouble. He told detectives he’d fantasized about robbing a bank for years and was motivated by debt and family pressure, as Nicholas mentioned they both needed money for bills and had a child on the way.
The robbery involved no weapons, and the brothers reportedly intended to turn themselves in if caught.
