ROCKFORD — A husband and wife from Crystal Lake have pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple bank robberies in Northern Illinois. 

DANIEL R. PLUSHKIS, 27, pleaded guilty today to three counts of bank robbery, and he admitted as part of a plea agreement that he committed two other bank robberies. His wife, JESSICA E. PLUSHKIS, 29, pleaded guilty on Feb. 11, 2019, to two counts of aiding and abetting a bank robbery.

The guilty pleas were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The Cary, Huntley, Arlington Heights, Streamwood, Algonquin, and Crystal Lake Police Departments assisted in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Talia Bucci.

As stated in Daniel Plushkis’s written plea agreement, on Dec. 1, 2017, Daniel Plushkis robbed the Chase Bank, 300 Northwest Hwy. in Cary.  Daniel Plushkis entered the bank wearing a long fake beard, a hooded black jacket, a camouflage hat, and sunglasses.  He handed a teller an envelope with a note on it stating that he had a gun, and he began counting down from 30.  The teller put $5,870 from the bank’s cash drawer into the envelope, and Daniel Plushkis fled from the bank with the cash.

Daniel also admitted that he robbed the TCF Bank, 13200 Village Green Dr. in Huntley, on Dec. 10, 2017, and the TCF Bank, 1860 S. Arlington Heights Rd., in Arlington Heights, on Dec. 13, 2017.  In those robberies, Daniel Plushkis wore a disguise including a long fake beard and sunglasses, handed the teller an envelope with a note taped to it, and began a countdown.  Daniel Plushkis stole $237 during the Dec. 10, 2017, robbery in Huntley, and $2,676 during the Dec. 13, 2017, robbery in Arlington Heights. As part of Daniel Plushkis’s written plea agreement, he also admitted that he robbed the TCF Bank, 217 E. Irving Park Rd. in Streamwood, on Dec. 20, 2017.  Daniel Plushkis wore a disguise including a long fake beard, sunglasses, and a hooded black jacket.  He handed the teller an envelope with a note taped to it and verbally demanded that the teller give him the money that the teller was in the process of counting.  The teller handed over $500, and Daniel Plushkis fled from the bank with the cash.

As part of Jessica Plushkis’s written plea agreement, she admitted that she aided and abetted her husband in committing the Dec. 13, 2017, bank robbery in Arlington Heights.  Jessica Plushkis admitted that she purchased a fake beard, black-colored hair spray, and black face paint for Daniel Plushkis a few hours before the Dec. 13, 2017, robbery, knowing that Daniel Plushkis intended to use those items as part of his disguise for the robbery.

As part of both plea agreements, the couple also admitted that Daniel Plushkis robbed the TCF Bank, 103 S. Randall Rd. in Algonquin, on Dec. 23, 2017, and that Jessica aided and abetted him in committing that robbery.  After Daniel Plushkis handed the teller a note stating that he had a gun, the teller put $4,350 from the bank drawer into an envelope. Daniel Plushkis fled the premises with the envelope and cash.  Daniel Plushkis headed toward the vehicle where his wife was waiting for him, but he was apprehended by a private citizen in the parking lot before making it back to the vehicle.  Jessica Plushkis admitted that, after her husband was apprehended, she quickly drove out of the parking lot to avoid being apprehended by law enforcement, but was quickly pulled over by a law enforcement officer as she exited the parking lot.  Law enforcement officers at the scene recovered the money Daniel Plushkis stole from the bank.

Each of the counts to which Daniel Plushkis and Jessica Plushkis pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release of up to three years following imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000.  Each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the United States District Court, guided by the Sentencing Guidelines.  U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala set sentencing for Jessica Plushkis on May 28, 2019, at 2:30 p.m., and for Daniel Plushkis on June 25, 2019, at 2:00 p.m.