TOLEDO, Ohio — A Toledo man who pleaded guilty to robbing a bank and escaping jail learned his fate Thursday.
Don Woodson Ellis, 32, was sentenced to over 16 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to crimes committed in 2018.
On Aug. 13, 2018, Ellis used a gun to steal a vehicle from a gas station in the Toledo area before robbing a bank on Glendale Avenue, according to court documents. After the bank robbery, Ellis fled the area and was later located and arrested by Toledo police. Ellis had a previous felony conviction for bank robbery in Monroe County and because of that, he was also charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
He was booked into the Lucas County jail and two days later, was mistakenly released from custody.
An investigative review into Ellis' phone calls discovered he had discussed a plan to misrepresent himself as his cellmate in order to utilize a bail bondsman and be released from jail. This plan occurred the day he was released under the other inmate's name.
At the time, the Lucas County Sheriff's Office claimed that photos were not taken and distributed properly when Ellis was booked, contributing to the oversight and mistaken release.
The FBI arrested Ellis in Detroit days after his escape.
Ellis pleaded guilty to armed carjacking, armed robbery, possessing a gun as a felon and escaping from jail. In total, he was sentenced to 16 years and nine months in prison.