Big Island man pleads guilty to federal bank robbery charge

KAILUA-KONA — A 30-year-old Big Island man will be sentenced in September in connection with the January robbery of the American Savings Bank branch in Kealakekua.

KAILUA-KONA — A 30-year-old Big Island man will be sentenced in September in connection with the January robbery of the American Savings Bank branch in Kealakekua.

Russell Risshi Monlux, who remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu, on May 19 pleaded guilty to a single federal count of bank robbery by force or violence. On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Oki Mollway accepted his guilty plea. Sentencing is set for September in Honolulu.

According to the U.S. Code, the charge carries a potential fine and/or a term of federal imprisonment not to exceed 20 years.

Federal Public Defender Alex Silvert said via email to West Hawaii Today on Friday that there is no mandatory minimum sentence to be imposed, rather a starting range provided by sentencing guidelines is around six to seven years but can be adjusted as the court sees fit.

“Mr. Monlux has a long history of mental health issues and has been in and out of Hawaii State Hospital over the years but seems to be doing much better now since he’s regularly taking his prescription medicine,” Silvert said. “With proper medication, I believe Mr. Monlux’s behavior can be regulated so that he can become a more productive member of our community than he has been in the past.”

Monlux entered the American Savings Bank branch in Kealakekua around 3 p.m. Jan. 3 and passed a threatening note that demanded money and said he had a gun, according to an affidavit in support of the federal charges filed shortly after the incident. That note was also signed by Monlux and matched the signature on his driver’s license.

The teller gave him $400 in bait bills, which are marked, before Monlux fled and solicited a ride to the Kailua-Kona Walmart in exchange for $50. That person who transported him would later identify Monlux in a police photo lineup.

The next day, after receiving a tip from the public, police and federal agents arrested Monlux inside the north terminal of Kona International Airport. A search of his possessions found a $100 bill from the bait money, according to the affidavit.

According to a check of criminal records maintained by the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, which falls under the state Attorney General’s Office, Monlux prior to the January incident had six convictions/acquittals on his record dating to 2007; all misdemeanors.

In 2007, he pleaded no contest to two counts of violating a protective order, for which he was sentenced to two years probation and 30 days in jail. Also that year, he was acquitted of violating a protective order and criminal contempt of court because of “mental incapacity” and committed to the DOH.

In May 2015, he pleaded no contest to first-degree criminal trespass of a dwelling for which he was sentenced to one year probation and 60 days in jail. And in June, he pleaded no contest to the same charge in another case and was sentenced to 60 days in jail. Proof of compliance hearings in those cases are scheduled for February.

According to police, he was arrested June 9, 2016, after he allegedly passed a handwritten bomb threat to a teller at the Bank of Hawaii branch inside the Hilo Safeway store on Makaala Street.

The store was evacuated and Monlux was charged with two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, but the charges were later dropped with prejudice — meaning prosecutors cannot refile them — after Monlux was deemed unfit to proceed to Circuit Court based on a report by a state psychologist. Monlux was ordered committed into DOH custody for a period not to exceed 120 days.

Monlux changed his plea in latest case after he was found fit on May 8 to move forward with the case following a competency and insanity evaluation.

U.S. Attorney Marshall Silverberg was not available as of press time Friday.