Wisconsin Man Gets 14-Year Prison Sentence For 'Bizarre' Robbery

An Appleton man’s robbery was so “bizarre,” he’ll serve 14 years in federal prison for it.

Xengxai Yang, 21, formerly of Appleton, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in a robbery of a credit union, apparently armed with a short-barreled rifle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Matthew D. Kreuger announced in a press release on Thursday (February 4).

Senior U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach found Yang guilty of several charges after a bench trial in October. Yang was found guilty of armed bank robbery, brandishing a short-barreled rifle during a crime of violence, and possession of a short-barreled rifle, according to the release.

Griesbach imposed a 48-month sentence for the armed bank robbery charge, a 120-month sentence for brandishing a short-barreled rifle consecutive to other counts, and a 48-month sentence for possessing a short-barreled rifle concurrent with count one, the release states.

That means a 168-month sentence for Yang, followed by five years of supervised release.

Yang apparently entered an Appleton credit union on March 15, 2019, in a “black plastic theater mask, sunglasses, and a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood up and his head covered,” the release states, citing court documents. “As he approached the counter, Yang pulled out a short-barreled shotgun and demanded money from the teller. Yang held the tellers at gunpoint while they gave him the money in their cash drawers.”

Using cable ties, Yang restrained two employees while he put the monty in the bag and fled the scene on foot. Appleton Police Department officers recovered more than $10,000 in cash when they arrested Yang nearby.

Yang admitted to the robbery when he told detectives he “decided to try something new today, so I robbed a bank.”

Griesbach didn’t mince words on the severity of Yang’s crimes. Particularly because Yang didn’t have a criminal history, the robbery was “bizarre,” and “no civilized society can tolerate this,” the judge said.

Griesbach noted that Yang’s sentence should reflect the trauma of the credit union employees, and that others considering similar offenses should be deterred.

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