Journal-News.com

LEBANON — After she pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery, a Warren County judge warned the Middletown woman police have dubbed the "granny robber" she'll likely do time for holding up three banks.

Barbara Joly, 68, appeared before Warren County Common Pleas Court Judge James Flannery on Monday Jan. 12, and admitted robbing a Franklin bank in November, the U.S. Bank in Lebanon on Sept. 24 and People's First Savings Bank in Mason on May 29.

Joly entered a guilty plea in Butler County Common Pleas Court on Dec. 30, for taking money from the Community National Bank in Middletown on March 11.

Flannery accepted Joly's plea and warned her that, regardless of the punishment Butler County may impose, she will likely serve time in prison. She will be sentenced in February.

"You are very much at risk of going to prison," Flannery said. "I have not yet made up my mind what is going to happen."

Joly stole $8,168 from the three banks, according to Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel. She asked Flannery to increase Joly's $100,000 bond in the Franklin Municipal Court to $300,000.

Flannery continued Joly's bond from Franklin Municipal Court, placed her on house arrest and she must continue to wear a GPS monitoring system until the case is concluded.

Joly robbed the Middletown bank by passing a note to a teller that said, "You are being watched by a gun, give me money," according to the Butler County Prosecutor's Office.

Hutzel said she used a similar tack in Warren County, warning the tellers not to give her bait bills or packs of money planted with dye. Her notes claimed she had an accomplice with a gun.

Joly's attorney Chris Atkins said Joly decided to rob banks after her husband Bill refused to send any more money to their adult son who lives in Indiana. The couple — whose Middletown home is valued at $115,160 by the Butler County auditor — has sent about $170,000 to their son over the past few years.

"This case is about mitigation now. This wasn't about personal gain for her, this wasn't so she could buy some fancy jewelry or pay off some debt," he said. "Her husband wrote me a check and also paid for her bond. She had much more money in the bank than the amount she took."

Joly faces 1 to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each 3rd degree felony count. Hutzel told the Pulse-Journal earlier she'll ask for the maximum.

"I realize she's 68, but on the other hand, she is alleged to have had inside knowledge of banks, so she would know from the point of a view of a bank teller how frightening this would be," Hutzel said. "She is alleged to have threatened each of the bank tellers and had to have scared them out of their wits. She did it not once but four times.