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DEMING – The man who attempted to rob the main First New Mexico Bank in Deming while armed with a hatchet has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison.
Zachary Michael Clay, 42, of Las Cruces, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempted bank robbery. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to federal court records, Clay entered the main First New Mexico Bank at 300 South Gold Avenue in Deming on February 26, 2026, with a hatchet around his waist and handed a teller a handwritten note demanding large bills.
The teller told Clay to wait and walked away under the pretense of retrieving the money while another bank employee called 911.
While waiting, Clay approached a second teller and handed over the same note. When the teller told him he was already being assisted, Clay displayed the hatchet he was carrying around his waist.
Clay then entered the office of the bank’s assistant vice president, asked whether there was money in the office and again brandished the hatchet.
Clay heard approaching sirens and left the bank without obtaining any money. Luna County Sheriff’s Office deputies immediately arrested him as he exited the bank.
Clay later pleaded guilty to attempted bank robbery. In addition to his 63-month federal prison sentence, he will be subject to three years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Luna County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant B. Gardner prosecuted the case.
John Krehbiel – Bravo Mic Communications News – John@bravomic.com