A woman accused of robbing banks across Seattle over the past year has been charged with seven counts of first-degree robbery and one count of attempted robbery, with prosecutors alleging she took personal pride in evading capture and bragging about her crimes.
Leena Chang, 34, was arrested earlier this month after a robbery on July 7 at a Washington Federal Bank branch in West Seattle. According to charging documents filed last week in King County Superior Court, Chang allegedly targeted at least eight banks since June 2024, stealing cash at gunpoint and becoming increasingly bold in her tactics.
Prosecutors are asking the court to set bail at $500,000, citing concerns that Chang poses an ongoing risk to public safety.
“While the defendant has no prior criminal history, the State remains very concerned she will commit another violent offense, specifically a bank robbery,” Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brynn Jacobson wrote in a motion requesting bail and release conditions.
According to court filings, Chang initially disguised her identity using a full face covering and mask, but later scaled back to just a head covering and sunglasses. She reportedly used a hyper-realistic airsoft gun to increase the appearance of threat and her chances of success.
Investigators discovered a hand drawn and painted collage that contained what appeared to be four images, consistent with the images used in the FBI wanted bulleting was found in Chang’s residence.
Detectives say they recovered detailed evidence from her apartment, including saved demand notes from earlier robberies and a notebook describing two of the incidents. Prosecutors noted one particularly bizarre discovery—Chang had kept and begun painting a watercolor version of her own FBI wanted bulletin.
“The fact that she was a focus of a significant law enforcement investigation appears to have been a source of great pride for her,” Jacobson wrote.
Surveillance footage from November 21, 2024 at the Key Bank located at 9735 Holman Road Northwest, Seattle.
Security surveillance footage from January 13, 2025 at the U.S. Bank located at 4200 SW Edmunds Street, Seattle.
The charges stem from robberies that occurred between June 2024 and July 2025 at eight banks across Seattle, including branches of Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Key Bank, HomeStreet Bank, and Washington Federal Bank. In most cases, the defendant is accused of threatening tellers and customers to obtain cash, often escaping before police arrived.
According to the probable cause certification, Chang was under active investigation when she allegedly robbed the West Seattle bank on July 7. Police, already surveilling her home, arrested her shortly afterward as she returned to her apartment—still in possession of stolen cash, a disguise, and a demand note.
Prosecutors said Chang also expressed to a friend that she felt a sense of satisfaction from successfully robbing banks and outsmarting police.
If convicted of first-degree robbery, Chang could face up to life in prison under Washington law.