The man known as the “Froggy Robber,” was sentenced this week to more than eight years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for armed bank robbery. Diego Sanchez-Lopez, 25, of Clark County, Wash., had previously pleaded guilty to stealing more than $87,000 from six banks across Oregon and southwest Washington, including ones in Wilsonville, Beaverton and Hillsboro.
Sanchez-Lopez was known as the “Froggy Robber” because of his short stature (5’2″) and his practice of jumping the counter to threaten bank employees with a knife. He terrorized financial institutions between November 2017 and April 2018, hitting nearly one a month.
His string of robberies included: $9,710 stolen from Albina Community Bank in Portland on Nov. 27, $26,000 from Wells Fargo in Wilsonville on Dec. 27, $11,580.99 from a Wells Fargo in Beaverton, $6,720 from a U.S. Bank in Scappoose, $15,400 from a Wells Fargo in Vancouver, Wash., and finally, $33,357 from a Wells Fargo in Hillsboro.
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman ordered Sanchez-Lopez to pay more than $119,000 in restitution. As a non-citizen and lawful permanent resident, this conviction will subject Sanchez-Lopez to removal from the U.S. by immigration authorities, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by John C. Brassell, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Before his arrest, an October 2017 robbery at Columbia Bank in Canby had also been considered a part of the Froggy Robber spree, but Sanchez-Lopez was never charged with this crime. While the Canby bank robber did use a knife and jump the counter, and was about the same height, the Canby suspect was described as a white male, and his age was estimated to be in the 30s or 40s.
Sanchez-Lopez was caught immediately following the Hillsboro robbery last April 30. He was chased down by two customers, Josh Merritt and Jonathan Hodges, who followed him and were able to get the attention of a passing police officer.
