Love After Lockup Season 9 inmate Christine Martin has a history of making headlines. The 38-year-old was featured prominently in local news outlets across three states in 2016, following a string of six bank robberies.

“I got in trouble with the law because of my drug addiction,” Christine explains during a Love After Lockup confessional. “I was dating someone who introduced me to drugs, and I soon found myself shoplifting and committing other crimes to support our habits.”

Christine eventually became frustrated with the limitations of shoplifting and decided to take her criminal activities to the next level. “I searched online for ‘how to rob a bank,’” she reveals. “I discovered that all I had to do was hand a note to the bank teller, and they would give me the money – no weapon required. I thought that was a convenient loophole.”

Could it really be that simple? Christine decided to find out.

Christine Martin’s Bank Robbery Spree

“I took an envelope, wrote a note, and handed it to the teller. And just like that, I got away with it!” Christine waited for the inevitable knock on her door, but it never came.

“About two months later, I realized that the authorities weren’t going to catch me. I was like, ‘Oh, okay. I got away with it.’ So, I walked into another bank and robbed it too.”

After robbing a second bank, Christine threw caution to the wind. “At this point, it was like a free-for-all. I robbed a bank in Athens one day, and then I drove back and robbed another bank the following day.”

The second bank robbery in Athens was her sixth – and final – heist.

“The next day, I heard the police banging on my door. I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m in trouble now.’”

Christine Joy Martin Makes Headlines

Prior to her arrest, security camera photos of Christine were shared by local news outlets in three states.

In the images, Christine can be seen wearing casual clothes, calmly walking up to the teller, handing over a note, and walking out with the cash.

When all was said and done, Christine had stolen a total of just under $8,000 from six banks in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

Christine was arrested at a hotel in Parkersburg, West Virginia on December 30, 2016 – one day after her last robbery.

Christine Joy Martin’s Bank Robbery Timeline

Here is a timeline of all six of Christine Joy Martin’s bank robberies, including the amount of money she took from each bank:

November 4 – $2,000 from Huntington Bank in Fairmont, WV

December 20 – $974 from United Bank in Morgantown, WV

December 23 (2:22PM) – $350 from WesBanco Bank in Washington, PA

December 23 (2:33PM) – $500 from First Commonwealth Bank in Washington, Pennsylvania

December 27 – $2,150 from Peoples Bank in Athens, OH

December 29 – $1,800 from Chase Bank in Athens, OH

Christine Joy Martin’s Plea Deal

As Christine states on Love After Lockup, she entered a plea deal in which she pleaded guilty to three of the bank robbery charges. The other three charges were dropped, but Christine was still ordered to pay restitution to all six banks.

Christine was also ordered to pay restitution of $115.44 to a woman named Heather. It’s unclear who that is.

Christine was sentenced to 51 months each for all three convictions, but the sentences were concurrent. 51 months was the minimum sentence she faced.

Because the robberies were in multiple states, the case was federal, and Christine served her time in Federal penitentiaries.

Christine was released on parole, and she was able to spend about a week with Julian before she was arrested on a parole violation.

Julian also reveals that he was with Christine when she ran a blinking red light. When police ran her information, they discovered an outstanding warrant due to her not reporting to her parole officer. They arrested her on the spot.

When Was Christine Released?

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, Christine Joy Martin was released on March 26, 2024. She was 30 years old when she was arrested, and 38 years old when she was released.

Will Christine be able to stay out of trouble? Will she and Julian find the happily ever after they have been patiently waiting for?

Be sure to tune in to new episodes of Love After Lockup airing Friday nights at 8/7c on WE tv to find out!