Trending Now - Supreme Court to Review Case of Bank Robber Caught by Phone

WHO:

AP News - Okello Chatrie, the bank robber.

AP News - The Supreme Court of the United States.

AP News - Bayer, involved in a separate case regarding Roundup weedkiller.

AP News - The Policing Project at the New York University School of Law.

WHAT:

AP News - Chatrie robbed a bank and made off with $195,000.

AP News - The Supreme Court is reviewing whether geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment.

AP News - Chatrie was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison after pleading guilty.

AP News - Police used a geofence warrant to identify Chatrie’s cellphone among devices near the bank during the robbery.

WHERE:

AP News - The bank robbery occurred in suburban Richmond, Virginia.

AP News - The Call Federal Credit Union in Midlothian, Virginia, was near the crime scene.

WHEN:

AP News - The bank robbery took place in May 2019.

AP News - The Supreme Court is set to hear Chatrie's case on a Monday.

WHY:

AP News - Chatrie's lawyers argue that the geofence warrant violated his privacy rights.

AP News - Prosecutors claim Chatrie had no expectation of privacy because he opted into Google’s location history.

HOW:

AP News - Police used a geofence warrant to collect location history of cellphone users near the bank.

AP News - The geofence warrant allowed police to identify individuals present at the crime scene without initially having a suspect.

(UPDATED April 25, 2026 19:17 UTC)

Okello Chatrie, who robbed a bank in suburban Richmond, Virginia, made off with $195,000 and was later sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison after pleading guilty. The Supreme Court is set to hear Chatrie's case regarding the use of geofence warrants, which his lawyers argue violated his privacy rights, while prosecutors contend he had no expectation of privacy due to his use of Google’s location history. Police utilized a geofence warrant to identify Chatrie’s cellphone among devices near the bank during the robbery, allowing them to pinpoint individuals present at the crime scene without having a suspect initially.