'Bad Hair Bandit' Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

The Bad Hair Bandit, a transient woman who admitted to robbing 21 banks in four different states—including one in Davis—was sentenced to 10 years in prison, U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today.

Cynthia Lynn Van Holland, 48, pleaded guilty to 21 counts of bank robbery in July and will have to pay more than $33,000 in restitution as part of the federal sentence, according to a press release from Wagner’s office.

Van Holland was dubbed the “Bad Hair Bandit” because she used unusual wigs and disguises during the robberies, the press release stated.

Van Holland robbed the U.S. Bank at 304 F Street in Davis of $1,967 on June 28, 2011, authorities said. She also hit a Sacramento Bank that same day, and another one in Auburn on Aug. 15, 2011, where she stole $8,722, according to the press release.

The case was investigated by the Sacramento Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office also helped apprehend Van Holland, according to the release.