Albuquerque bank robber’s bid for reduced sentence denied

A federal judge in Albuquerque has denied a petition from convicted bank robber Byron Shane Chubbuck seeking a new attorney, leaving in place his 80-year federal sentence. The ruling marks the latest in a series of efforts by Chubbuck, who has been behind bars since the early 2000s and is incarcerated until 2071, to shorten his time in prison.

Chubbuck, known as Robin the Hood, carried out more than a dozen bank robberies in Albuquerque in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He received the 80-year sentence for the robbery spree. He also escaped from custody twice and is suspected of robbing even more banks.

In his latest filing, Chubbuck asked for a new attorney so he could pursue a compassionate release. He claims his attorney is not responding to him.

The judge ruled that Chubbuck must show good cause, such as a complete breakdown of communication or an irreconcilable conflict, before receiving new counsel. The judge stated that an appeals court judge may need to decide on the petition.

In 2016, Chubbuck filed an appeal looking to shave 25 years off his prison time. His attorney at the time, Todd Coberly, argued that a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found certain language in the Armed Career Criminal Act unconstitutional should have applied to Chubbuck’s case. Chubbuck failed to convince that judge, and his petition was denied.