An Ocala woman has pleaded guilty to robbing a bank in Marion County earlier this year. Christina Gates Thagard, 40, admitted to the crime and now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for January 20, 2026.
Court documents show that on May 3, 2025, Thagard entered a local bank wearing a hat, hoodie, sunglasses, surgical mask, and one latex glove. She approached the teller and announced: “This is a robbery!” Thagard told the teller to put money in her bag and threatened she had a gun. She also gave the teller a note stating: “This is a robbery I have a gun and will shoot if any alarms or dye packs are inclosed [sic] fill this bag with all at least 50 k big bills only wait 2 mins to call police.” The teller complied by placing $5,075 in cash and a tracking device into Thagard’s purse.
Police used information from the tracking device to quickly locate Thagard and her vehicle. Officers recovered the stolen cash, the tracking device, and clothing worn during the robbery from inside her car. Forensic analysis confirmed Thagard’s fingerprints on both the demand note and on a door inside the bank.
The Ocala Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe stated: “This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).”
