Defendant sentenced for two armed bank robberies

ATLANTA - Darius Taurean Caldwell has been sentenced for committing two armed bank robberies, brandishing a firearm in connection with those robberies, and possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense.

“Caldwell terrified and endangered the lives of innocent victims during these armed robberies,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “We are committed to keeping our communities safe and ensuring that justice is served for the victims of his crimes.”

“If not for the quick response by the Smyrna Police Department, this violent offender more than likely would have continued robbing and threatening innocent citizens,” said Ricardo Grave de Peralta, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “His reckless disregard for their safety could have easily turned into tragedy. Fortunately he is no longer a threat.”

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: On August 24, 2016, Caldwell robbed a North of Atlanta (NOA) Bank branch in Doraville, Georgia.  He walked into the bank wearing a blue facemask and an inside-out t-shirt.  Caldwell stuck a black and silver handgun in a teller’s face and demanded money.  Minutes later, he fled on foot with several thousand dollars.  He managed to evade capture following this armed robbery.

On September 7, 2016, Caldwell robbed a Bank of America branch in Smyrna, Georgia.  Again wearing a blue facemask and an inside-out t-shirt, he walked into the bank, reached past a terrified customer, stuck a black and silver handgun in a teller’s face, and demanded money.  He again fled on foot with several thousand dollars.  However, this time Smyrna, Georgia, Police Department officers captured Caldwell within minutes of the robbery while he hid behind a nearby residence.  Investigators later linked Caldwell to the earlier NOA Bank robbery.

Darius Taurean Caldwell, 33, of Duluth, Georgia was sentenced to 32 years, one day in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.  He was also ordered to pay $ 14,841 in restitution.  Caldwell was convicted by a federal jury on April 12, 2018, on two counts of armed bank robbery, two counts of brandishing a firearm during the commission of those robberies, and the offense of possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Smyrna Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bret R. Hobson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, Deputy Chief of the Violent Crime and National Security Section, prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.