Detroit Man Found Guilty of Murder and Bank Robbery

A Detroit resident originally from Camarillo, California was found guilty today by a federal jury in Detroit of charges including murder, bank robbery, and conspiracy relating to armored car robberies in Dearborn and Detroit, Michigan, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced.

Ms. McQuade was joined in the announcement by FBI Special Agent in Charge Andrew G. Arena, of the Detroit Division.

Found guilty was Timothy Dennis O'Reilly, 37.

The jury deliberated for several hours today before returning the verdict, concluding an 11-day trial before United States District Judge Victoria A. Roberts.

The evidence presented during the trial showed that during the early morning hours of December 14, 2001, O'Reilly and five other men robbed an armored truck delivering money to the ATM machines at the Dearborn Federal Credit Union. During the course of the robbery, armored truck guard Norman Anthony Stephens was shot in the back and killed with shotguns used by the robbers. O'Reilly and his fellow robbers escaped the scene with $204,000 in cash. At the time, Stephens and his two fellow guards were employees of Total Armored Car Services. Stephens was married, and he and his wife had six children. The evidence also showed that O’Reilly and two other men robbed an armored truck delivering money to an ATM at a Comerica Bank branch in Detroit on June 19, 2003. During the course of the robbery, armored truck guard Jonathan Smith was shot by the robbers.

In its verdict, the jury found O'Reilly guilty of conspiring between June 2000 and December 2001 with six other men to commit bank robbery at the Dearborn Federal Credit Union. In addition, O'Reilly was convicted of robbing the armored truck and of killing Mr. Stephens during the course of the robbery. Finally, O'Reilly was convicted of murdering Mr. Stephens with a firearm during the course of a violent crime. O’Reilly also was convicted of conspiracy, bank robbery, and use of firearm during a crime of violence in relation to the June 2003 robbery at the Comerica Bank location.

All charges are felonies. The charge of bank robbery where a death results carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment, with no possibility of parole, up to and including death. The murder with a firearm charge also carries a sentence up to and including death. The other charges carry lower possible sentences. O'Reilly also faces a $250,000 fine on each count of conviction.

The penalty phase of the case begins August 9, 2010.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Chasteen, Kenneth Chadwell and Maggie Smith.