Three Defendants, Including Two Officers, Convicted of Conspiracy to Rob Armored Car Employees

LITTLE ROCK—Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against three men on all counts related to a conspiracy to rob employees of an armored car company that began in 2005 and culminated in the successful armed robbery of an armored car employee on September 10, 2007 at a U.S. Bank in North Little Rock. The three men included Jason Gilbert, a/k/a J.D., a former officer with the Little Rock Police Department, and Allen Clark, a former officer with the Department of Veteran Affairs. Antonio “Tony” Person, Gilbert’s cousin, was also found guilty of being part of the conspiracy.

Additionally, the jury found Person guilty of the armed robbery of an Arkansas Armored Car employee on September 10, 2007, in North Little Rock and of brandishing a firearm during the robbery. During that robbery, approximately $400,000 was stolen at gunpoint from an the armored car employee delivering money to a U.S. Bank branch in North Little Rock.

“This verdict sends a strong statement regarding our commitment to protect the people of this district from those who intend to endanger lives and steal, not only property, but also the confidence in law enforcement officers’ integrity,” stated Thyer. “Officers Gilbert and Clark took an oath to protect citizens and uphold the law. Instead, they along with others, conspired to steal from an armored car company. They have been held accountable by a jury for the choice they made to ignore their oath and perpetrate crime.”

Gilbert, Clark and Person were taken into the custody of the U.S. Marshal after the verdict today. Sentencing will be set by the Court at a later date.

Sterling Omar Platt, a former officer with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Mark Davis, Oscar Holmes and Eric Owens previously pled guilty to charges in the case. None are in custody. Platt, Davis and Holmes are awaiting sentencing. Owens was sentenced to time served up to the time of his plea.

The conspiracy and robbery charges carry a possible punishment of up to twenty (20) years in federal prison and/or up to a $250,000 fine. Federal law also requires a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least seven (7) years if a firearm was brandished during the robbery.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the North Little Rock Police Department, and the Little Rock Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Gordon and Tricia Harris.