http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/4101 by Mark Morey
Yakima Herald-Republic
The bandit and the bodybuilder on Thursday got one more look at each other before the bad guy went off to the big house.
"He didn't have blood all over his face this time, so it was hard to recognize him, said Todd Jewell, the former Yakima resident and bodybuilder who tackled the Old School Bandit at a Lynnwood bank last August.
The bandit, known to the federal government as Chadwick Asheim, was sentenced in Seattle's federal court Thursday to five years in prison for a single count of attempted bank robbery. He had another six months tacked on for walking away from the halfway house where he was serving out his time for four bank-robbery convictions.
The FBI named him the Old School Bandit for his habit of tying a bandanna across his face in Old West style. Agents said they believe Asheim was responsible for a spree of eight bank robberies across Puget Sound.
Court documents state that federal marshals had already relayed a tip to the FBI from the suspect's mother that Asheim might be their man, but they hadn't been able to put handcuffs on him yet.
Then along came Todd Jewell -- all 280 pounds of him.
As reported at the time by news outlets in Seattle and Yakima -- as well as a couple of muscle magazine and the National Enquirer -- Jewell was waiting in the bank lobby with his wife, who wanted to check on a job opening.
Asheim came through the door, putting his mask in place as he approached the teller. Because most people don't have experience as bank-robbery witnesses, it took a moment for the couple to realize what was happening.
But Jewell, now 26, decided to intervene when it became clear that Asheim planned to make his withdrawal by force. When the suspect grabbed for the teller across the counter, Jewell tackled the 170-pound Asheim.
Asheim's bloody face came from having his skull bounced off the floor. Given the suspect's relentless attempt to escape, Jewell also drove a knee into his ribs and got some extra help from another bank employee before the police arrived.
Along with his proverbial 15 minutes of fame, Jewell received a $5,000 reward from the FBI.
The incident also likely won him a promotions contract with TwinLabs, a national supplier of bodybuilding and strength supplements.
The company reached out for him after coming across his Myspace page, which included congratulations from friends about his crime-fighting role. He signed the deal last month.
As Asheim heads off to prison, Jewell continues working toward his goal of being a professional bodybuilder. He's training full-time for three upcoming competitions, including a repeat of the Las Vegas event that he had just finished when he interrupted Asheim's bank spree.
"I've still got people in random places that will recognize me because of all the press I got over this," said Jewell, who now lives in Bellevue, Wash., with his wife, Shawna.
Jewell stresses he wasn't looking for trouble, just doing his part to help somebody in need. But if it ever happens again, he's bulked up with an additional 12 pounds of muscle since then.
His wife, it turns out, spent about three months as a manager at another bank branch before deciding that she would prefer a career as a national trainer for an investment company.
