Yakima man sentenced to over 23 years for armed bank robberies

Portland, Ore. — A Yakima man was sentenced to more than 23 years in federal prison Thursday after admitting to committing at least ten bank robberies, five of which were armed, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Clifford Court Uptegrove, 61, was sentenced to 280 months in prison and five years of supervised release for his role in the robberies.

One of the crimes occurred on December 17, 2021, just over a year after Uptegrove had been granted compassionate release from federal prison.

According to court documents, Uptegrove entered an Umpqua Bank in Hermiston, Oregon, brandishing a firearm and demanding large denomination bills.

He ran away from the bank with more than $13,000 in cash before attempting to steal a truck in a nearby parking lot.

However, a Hermiston police officer quickly found him and, after a brief chase, Uptegrove was arrested without further incident.

A federal grand jury indicted Uptegrove in January 2022 on charges of armed bank robbery, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

He pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery in April 2024.

Uptegrove’s criminal history dates back nearly two decades.

He had previously been sentenced in 2005 to over 20 years for armed bank robbery and using a firearm during a crime of violence.

That case involved a robbery at Riverview Community Bank in Hazel Dell, Washington, in which he attempted to escape using a bicycle as a getaway vehicle before being caught by police.

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