OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Today in Nebraska's District Court, one man was sentenced for charges related to a string of bank robberies in Nebraska and Iowa. Another was sentenced for charges of distributing child pornography.
The U.S. Department of Justice's release on Tyree C. Carney
"United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that U.S. District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Tyree C. Carney, 26, today to 25 years in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Carney was also ordered to pay $192,898.22 in restitution for the money taken and losses sustained by victims. Carney previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery for his involvement in several crimes of violence between September 23, 2016 and June 12, 2017, and several counts of brandishing a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Kelly remarked, “Carney’s twenty-five year sentence sends a message that the most violent offenders will be imprisoned for lengthy periods of time where they can no longer prey on members of our community. The collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies was instrumental in achieving Carney’s conviction.”
On September 23, 2016, Carney and another individual robbed the Springfield State Bank in Springfield, Nebraska. Brandishing a firearm, wearing gloves, sunglasses and covering his face Carney went behind the teller counter, demanded money, took a purse from a teller and filled it with $47,022.60 of the bank’s money. The robbers then fled the bank getting into a waiting car. On November 15, 2016, Carney and another individual robbed the American National Bank in Crescent, Iowa. They went into the bank with their faces concealed, displayed handguns, demanded employees get on the ground, and demanded the employees open their drawers and the bank vault. After getting the $94,028, they fled the bank in a vehicle they had carjacked from a woman in southeast Omaha earlier that day. After the robbery, the vehicle was found abandoned in north Omaha.
On March 25, 2017, Carney and another individual, while brandishing firearms and covering their faces, robbed the Cornerstone Bank in Murray, Nebraska. Several employees were ordered to the ground and had their hands zip-tied. One of the employees was ordered to empty the teller drawers and open the vault. Carney and his associate took an undisclosed amount of money and fled the bank. Around 8:15 a.m. on June 12, 2017, Carney and another individual were involved in carjacking a vehicle in north Omaha. Several hours later, they used that vehicle when they drove to the U.S. Bank in Underwood, Iowa and robbed it. With their identities concealed, they ordered employees to the ground, zip-tied them and were able to get into the vault. They left the bank, with $47,801, in the car they had stolen earlier. The bank robberies and carjackings formed the basis for the conspiracy and two of the firearm charges.
On May 15, 2018, Carney went into the Wells Fargo at 3536 Comstock in Bellevue, Nebraska, pointed a gun at a teller and demanded money. The bank had bulletproof glass at the teller counter. The teller did not comply with Carney’s demands and he left the bank. He pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm during the attempted robbery.
"This sentence today reflects our determination to make an impact on violent crime in the Omaha metro area," said Acting Special Agent in Charge John Barrios. "We appreciate the active collaboration of our state and local partners who share our resolve to keep our communities safe."
The FBI Great Plains Violent Crime Task Force, comprised of FBI agents, Omaha Police Department detectives, Nebraska State Patrol Investigators and Papillion Police Department Detectives, is responsible for the investigation into the bank robberies for which Carney was convicted. The task force was assisted by Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Omaha Police Department Robbery Unit, Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, and Bellevue Police Department."
The U.S. Department of Justice's release on Benjamin Kabourek
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Benjamin Kabourek, 36, of Omaha was sentenced today in federal court for distributing child pornography. The Honorable Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Kabourek to 5 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison Kabourek will serve a 10-year term of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender. Kabourek must also pay $2,000 in restitution to one of the children whose image he received and maintained on his computer.
Between December, 2016 and January, 2017 Kabourek was observed distributing images of child pornography over the internet. A federal search warrant was served by members of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. A search of Kabourek’s electronic devices revealed a video and 7 images of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Omaha FBI's Cyber Crime Task Force (CCTF).
