Alleged 'Lumberjack Bandit' Pleads Not Guilty

Mauricio Enriquez, who has been linked to two recent bank robberies in Culver City, pleaded not guilty to five counts of bank robbery and one count of using a firearm in federal court Tuesday.

Dubbed the Lumberjack Bandit because of witness descriptions of a man with a beard and certain clothing, Enriquez, 28, is accused of robbing the Wells Fargo bank on Washington Boulevard on Aug. 12 and the Chase Bank on Sepulveda Boulevard the following day. In addition to the Culver City robberies, he has also been charged with three additional Los Angeles bank robberies, according to U.S. District Court documents. 

The bank robbery charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and the gun charges have a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and theoretically could bring a life sentence, said Thom Mrozek, public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The case has been transferred to Judge Otis Wright, who will "handle all future proceedings," said Asal Akhondzadeh, deputy federal public defender for Enriquez.

No future court dates have been set, said Akhondzadeh.

Enriquez was arrested Aug. 18 after allegedly robbing a Wells Fargo in downtown Los Angeles. He was indicted Friday and remains in custody.