A federal judge has sentenced a man to 19 years in prison for violently robbing two banks in downtown Chicago. Jawad H. Hakeem, 51, of Waukegan, Ill., committed two armed bank robberies within a week in 2023.  The first robbery occurred on March 3, 2023, at a Chase Bank branch in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.  The second robbery occurred on March 9, 2023, at a Fifth Third Bank branch in Chicago’s Loop neighborhood.  In both robberies, Hakeem brandished a handgun at bank tellers and customers.  In the second robbery, Hakeem fired nine shots at a security guard, who returned fire, but no one was wounded. Hakeem was arrested on March 13, 2023, in Waukegan, Ill.  He has remained in law enforcement custody since then. Hakeem pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal bank robbery and firearm charges.  On Aug. 26, 2026, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Hakeem to 19 years in federal prison. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ryan Whalen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department and the Waukegan Police Department.