Top 10 Most Notorious Female Bank Robbers

A snapshot of criminal Bonnie Parker smoking a cigar. Photo By FBI – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Most Notorious Female Bank Robbers

A female bank robber isn’t someone you’d typically expect on the list of the Most Wanted fugitives. A male burglar, sure. But a female bank robber? She must have been one hell of a criminal!

Planning and executing a bank robbery is a perilous undertaking. But as they say, the higher the risk, the higher the reward. These women had their eye on the prize, the prize being a big wad of cash.

Below are the 10 most notorious female bank robbers in history.

1. Bonnie Parker

Bonnie Parker. Photo Source Wikimedia Commons

Wanted by the authorities for several bank robberies and murders, Bonnie Elizabeth Parker was the most notorious female bank robber of the 20^th century. She became a hoodlum after meeting her lover, Clyde Barrow, who was already committing crimes at the time.  

For two years, Bonnie and Clyde caused utter unrest in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana. Their robberies were brutal: they, more often than not, ended in blood baths.

After evading the authorities for two years, Bonnie was finally ambushed by the police in 1934. She died in the Louisiana shootout.

Learn the 10 most famous Bank Robberies in America by clicking on this link. 

2. Patty Hearst

Convicted bank robber, Patty Hearst arrest photo. Photo Source Wikimedia Commons

Patty Campbell Hearst was part of a militant organization by the name Symbionese Liberation Army. She was initially taken hostage by members of the criminal gang and after psychological manipulation, joined the Liberation.

In February 1974, Patty was abducted from her apartment. The objective of the kidnapping was to coarse the government, through her father, a political figure, into amending some laws. The Liberation continued to hold her hostage until Patty decided to join them.

Patty committed her first bank robbery in April 1974 and proceeded to commit her second a month later. In March 1976, she was convicted of robbery with violence. She was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment but was pardoned by President Jimmy Carter after serving 22 months. 

3. Jill Erickson

Similar to Bonnie and Clyde, Jill Sandra Erickson was part of a two-man gang that included her husband Jeffrey E. Erickson. Jill and Jeffrey wedded in July 1983. They moved in together and began their criminal life 7 years after their marriage.

The two crooks robbed their first bank, the First Nationwide Bank, in January 1990. In 1991, they committed three bank heists in Arizona alone. They continued robbing other banks in several states.

Jill met her death during a hot police pursuit in Cook County, Illinois. She was shot during the gun exchange where she passed away. Forensics concluded her death was caused by a self-inflicted wound.   

4. Barbie Bandits

Ashley Miller and Heather Johnston were handcuffed and escorted into an Atlanta police station on April 27^th 2007. The two were apprehended as the main suspects behind the Bank of America robbery.

Before Heather Johnston was arrested, she was a student-athlete on the rise. Heather was raised by a Christian family and did well in her studies. She was also a promising tennis player, the Serena Williams of her generation.

“It started out as a joke”, Johnston narrated. She had been kicked out of her family home after her parents found out she got a stripping gig in one of the local clubs. She moved in with her co-worker and friend Ashley Miller.

High on drugs and exposed to fast money, robbing a bank didn’t seem like such a bad idea. Or so they thought. Drawing inspiration from a crime film and with the help of an inside man, the two 19-year-olds stole USD 11,000.

Ashley and Heather were arrested two days after the robbery. They served 10 years in prison.

See the 10 best bank robbery movies to watch on Netflix in this article.

5. Katherine Ann Power

Katherine Ann Power. Photo Source Wikimedia Commons.

In 1970, Katherine Ann Power was named one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives. She fled after robbing an armory and a bank in Massachusetts. She used the names Mae Kelly and Alice Metzinger as her aliases.

Katherine was on the ran for 23 years until she surrendered herself to the authorities. She confessed and pleaded guilty to both robberies. She was sentenced to 20 years, 14 of which she served on probation.

6. Courtnie L. Pope a.k.a Starlet Bandit

Display of sunglasses. Photo By Wu Yi – Unsplash

In 2008, Courtnie L. Pope robbed her first bank in California. She continued her life of crime robbing a total of 8 banks including the three California branches of the Bank of America.

Courtnie was nicknamed the Starlet Bandit because of her good looks. She wore sunglasses and occasionally had a wig as her disguise. She was part of a two-man gang but her accomplice, a male, was never located by the authorities.

Courtnie was arrested in October 2013. She was sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison.

7. Sylvete Phylis Gilbert a.k.a Church Lady Bandit

Sylvete Phylis Gilbert was arrested and charged with 12 counts of robbery in December 2012. The judge’s final verdict was 51 years in prison and USD 14,000 in restitution.

Sylvete was soft-spoken. She was dubbed the Church Lady Bandit after a witness described her as a slightly older woman dressed ready for church. Additionally, she wore a wig as part of her disguise.

Throughout her criminal life, Church Lady Bandit robbed 11 banks (7 in 2010, 3 in 2008, and 1 in 2006). She cumulatively stole USD 19,432. Only a portion of her last steal, USD 4,630, was recovered. 

8. Monica Proietti a.k.a Machine Gun Molly

Machine Gun Molly, also known as Monica Proietti, was a Canadian criminal who robbed banks for a living. She was born into a lineage of gangsters.

Monica and her crew were said to have stolen a total of USD 100,000 from more than 20 banks. In 1967, she crushed her vehicle during a police chase in Montreal where she was shot dead by an undercover officer.

Click here to find out about the 10 most famous bank robberies of all time. 

9. Naomi Betts

On October 3^rd, 2003, Naomi and her accomplice, who is still unknown to date, stormed into the Fifth Third Bank, Indianapolis. She fled after the successful heist and remained on the run until her arrest on May 27^th, 2004.

Betts was listed among the most wanted bandits in America and identifying her face was as easy as A, B, C. She wore no face mask, no overall, or sunglass. Betts robbed the bank in broad daylight completely undisguised.

The Indianapolis police had spent over half a million USD on Betts’ manhunt. Her face was all over the news. Despite this, finding her became a daunting task for the authorities.

Their saving grace was an episode of America’s Most Wanted that aired 5 days prior to her arrest. Betts was apprehended in a city in Missouri.

10. Cell Phone Bandit a.k.a Candice Rose Martinez

Candice Martinez was a college student when she robbed four banks in Northern Virginia. In October and November 2005, Candice stole a total of USD 48,620, money she would get to spend due to her hasty arrest.

Candice was named the Cell phone bandit due to her modus operandi. During the robberies, she would receive instructions through her cell phone from her boyfriend and accomplice, Dave C. Williams.

The two were arrested in mid-November 2005. Candice was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and a restitution amounting to USD 43,850.

A bunch of daring women if I may say. Some are serving jail time while others, such as Ann Power, turned over a new leaf. The life stories of these female bandits are enough proof that crime really doesn’t pay.  

Read about the 15 most notorious bank robbers in history on the Discover Walks website.