Prosecutors tell CTV News Toronto they are seeking to keep the prolific bank robber formerly dubbed the ‘Vaulter Bandit’ in prison for another 15 years as the man’s sentencing hearing began Wednesday.
Jeffrey Shuman was given the nickname after he committed a series of armed bank robberies across the GTA and Ottawa where he would jump over the bank counters.
The offences date back to February of 2010 and span approximately five years.
Shuman pleaded guilty Wednesday to seven of the 17 armed robberies he is accused of committing.
Crown prosecutor Melissa Montemurro told the court that Shuman was tracked down by police in Geneva, Switzerland in September of 2015 after a fingerprint was recovered from a binder and identified by the FBI.
The forensic evidence also tied Shuman to a series of similar bank robberies in Florida and Tennessee in 1992 and 1993, respectively.
Despite attempts to appeal an extradition order, Shuman was brought back to Canada by officers from Peel and York regions on Feb. 23, 2016.
During today’s proceedings, the court heard an agreed statement of facts that detailed what occurred during each of the seven robberies Shuman has pleaded guilty to.
In many of them, Shuman would vault himself over bank counters and demand cash from employees.
In other more violent instances, its alleged Shuman would accost employees at gunpoint as they arrived to open the store, force them inside at gunpoint and take off with cash.
The amount stolen totals about $455,000.
His last and considerably most notorious robbery unfolded in May of 2015 in Mississauga. Shuman allegedly locked multiple employees in a vault before fleeing the bank with more than $250,000.
Prosecutors tell CTV News Toronto that they intend on asking the judge for a 15 year sentence in addition to the two years Shuman has already served.
Shuman is scheduled to attend a sentencing hearing on July 25 in Newmarket.
With files from CTV News Toronto's Janice Golding.
