By: Devin Fry
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A convicted bank robber pleaded guilty in federal court to robbing a Wells Fargo bank in downtown Fargo this summer.
Jay Douglas Barker entered a guilty plea Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota, according to a plea agreement filed in the case.
The robbery
The plea agreement details how Barker walked into the Wells Fargo on Main Avenue on Aug. 1, 2025, wearing a mask atop his head. He wrote a note at a table in the bank lobby that read, “Robbery 20-50-100.”
Barker approached a teller window and handed over the note, demanding, “Give me your twenties, fifties, and hundreds,” according to court documents. The teller was nervous and anxious, but handed over money from the drawer.
Barker made similar demands to a second teller, who thought Barker was holding something in his hand. No weapons were found in Barker’s possession. The second teller also handed over cash.
At a third teller window, Barker commanded the teller not to push any panic or alarm buttons and demanded all the money. That teller complied.
Arrest and charges
Barker left the bank with $10,520, which had been in the care and custody of Wells Fargo, an institution insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Police later seized the money during a search of Barker’s vehicle.
Fargo police arrested Barker on August 1 after responding to the business in the 400 block of Main Avenue. He was booked into the Cass County jail on a charge of robbery with a firearm, dangerous weapon, or destructive device.
Potential Sentence
Barker faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He has agreed to forfeit the $10,520 and pay restitution in that amount.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will recommend a sentence within the guidelines range for a career offender. The plea agreement notes that the sentence would run concurrently with any imprisonment imposed upon revocation in a previous federal case. Barker had previously been convicted of Bank Robbery in 2017.
A sentencing date has not been set, and the originally scheduled jury trial has been cancelled.
