IBC Bank Robbery Arrest in Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY—James E. Finch, Special Agent in Charge of the Oklahoma City Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announces the arrest of an individual believed to be responsible for the bank robbery of the IBC Bank located at 4902 N. Western, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on September 26, 2012. Barry Leonard Keith, 56, was arrested by the Oklahoma City Police Department in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Wednesday, September 26, 2012.

According to witnesses, Keith entered the bank shortly after opening and handed a note to a teller demanding money. Keith left the bank and was last seen walking east on N.W. 48th street.

Oklahoma City Police Officers responding to the bank robbery located Keith at N.W. 48th and Francis, where he was arrested without incident. Keith was unarmed and officers were able to recover what was believed to be all of the money stolen.

The Oklahoma City Police Department is to be commended for their quick response and thorough efforts in this arrest.

Keith faces federal bank robbery charges. The public is reminded that a charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

City Man Charged for Pointing Laser at Oklahoma City Police Helicopter

OKLAHOMA CITY—A federal felony complaint was filed late yesterday charging Derrick M. Sullivent, 20, of Oklahoma City, with two counts of aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, specifically, the Oklahoma City Police Department helicopter, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

“Pointing a laser at any aircraft creates such a serious safety issue that Congress enacted a new statute in February to make it a federal criminal felony offense carrying penalties up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine,” said U.S. Attorney Coats. “Lasers can distract, temporarily blind, or even completely incapacitate pilots, putting them and any passengers on board in grave danger. Pointing a laser at an aircraft is both a criminal act and a serious public safety concern.”

“Lasers pose a real and perceived threat to our police pilots,” said William Citty, Oklahoma City Chief of Police. “State and federal laws have been enacted to protect our officers from these threats. Individuals who choose to target our pilots with lasers, for any reason, need to know that law enforcement will investigate and seek prosecution of any violator.”

The complaint specifically alleges that on two separate occasions, once on June 10, 2012 and again on June 11, 2012, Sullivent pointed a green laser beam at the Oklahoma City Police Department helicopter while it was flying in the area of 1616 Southwest 86th Street in Oklahoma City. If convicted, Sullivent faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

On February 14, President Barack Obama signed the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. As part of that act, a new criminal offense was established for aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, or at the flight path of such an aircraft. The statute was enacted in response to a growing number of incidents of pilots being distracted or even temporarily blinded by laser beams.

These charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oklahoma City Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Yancey.

The public is reminded that a criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. Reference is made to the complaint and other public filings for further information.

Robbery of MidFirst Bank Branch in Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY—James E. Finch, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Oklahoma, announced the robbery of the MidFirst Bank located at 810 S.W. 44th Street in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

At approximately 9:05 a.m. on Friday, May 25, an unknown male entered the bank and stated, “Give me the money.” The robber then jumped on top of the teller counter with a revolver in his hand and asked, “Where is the money?” He saw a teller with money in her hand, approached the teller, and took an undisclosed amount of cash from the teller drawer. The robber was last seen walking towards S.W. 45th Street. No one was injured in today’s robbery.

The robber was described as a black male, approximately 5’8” in height, and weighing approximately 150 to 160 pounds. He was wearing a black hooded jacket, a black covering over his nose and lower portion of his face, and green windbreaker-style pants. He also wore black gloves and white tennis shoes.

The robbery is being investigated by the FBI and the Oklahoma City Police Department.

Anyone with information regarding this robbery should contact the FBI at (405) 290-7770 (24-hour number). You may remain anonymous.

Oklahoma City Man to Serve 12 Years in Prison for Robbing Metro Bank

OKLAHOMA CITY—Yesterday, TRAVIS EVERETT WARREN, 28, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was sentenced to serve 144 months in federal prison by United States District Judge David L. Russell for robbing the Bank of America located at 8901 S. Western Avenue in Oklahoma City on November 17, 2011, using a firearm, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

Warren was charged by Information on December 13, 2011, with robbing the bank and pled guilty on January 4, 2012. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Russell ordered that Warren pay restitution to the bank, forfeit the firearm used in the bank robbery, and serve five years of supervised release upon his release from prison.

These charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oklahoma City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Borden.

Investigation of Northeast Oklahoma City Street Gang Results in 56 Convictions and a Collective Prison Sentence of Over 414 Years

OKLAHOMA CITY—As the result of a multi-year investigation into the narcotics trafficking activities by a neighborhood street gang operating on the Northeast side of Oklahoma City, a total of 51 individuals have now been convicted and sentenced in federal court to a combined total of 4,808 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Sanford C. Coats, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge James Finch, and Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty. An additional five defendants were sentenced to 168 months in state prison. Together, this investigation resulted in the federal and state convictions of 56 defendants who were sentenced to a collective total of 4,976 months in prison—over 414.6 years.

“The Oklahoma City metro area will be safer because those prosecuted in this case will be removed from our community for a long period of time,” said U.S. Attorney Sanford C. Coats. “We will continue to use all resources and tools at our disposal to disrupt and dismantle gangs wherever they exist, and we will be aggressive in stopping their criminal activities and bringing them to justice.”

“This investigation shows the dedication of the FBI and its law enforcement partners to investigate violent gang members who have chosen to violate the law,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jim Finch. “We will continue to investigate these violent gangs to ensure the safety of the citizens in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.”

“The arrest and prosecution of so many dangerous individuals can only be accomplished with the combined efforts and cooperation of federal and local law enforcement agencies,” said Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty. “The multi-agency investigation along with the aggressive prosecution of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oklahoma City have made a tremendous impact on reducing violent crime in our community.”

In August 2007, the FBI, Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD), and Midwest City Police Department, as part of the Safe Streets Task Force, initiated an investigation targeting a neighborhood street gang operating on the Northeast side of Oklahoma City. Intelligence gathered from OCPD indicated that this was one of most violent gangs operating in Oklahoma City. The investigation initially targeted a key supplier of crack cocaine, which led to evidence that this supplier was also selling a variety of other drugs, not only to other drug dealers, but to other members of violent gangs. Ultimately, the investigation led to the supplier’s sources and to others associated with the gang’s illegal activities.

On January 14 and February 23, 2010, a sweep by law enforcement resulted in the arrests of numerous gang members, high-level drug suppliers, and street-level drug dealers. Additional individuals were later charged and convicted in connection with this investigation. Most of the crimes related to narcotics trafficking where the primary drugs sold were cocaine (powder and crack), marijuana, methamphetamine, and PCP. Several defendants were also convicted of firearms offenses.

A total of 56 defendants were prosecuted and convicted in federal and state court.

Of the 51 defendants prosecuted in federal court, four defendants exercised their right to jury trial: Reginald Lancaster, Tyrone Hill, Ladell Pace, and Detrek Tucker.

■A jury convicted Reginald Lancaster on four counts including possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and marijuana, offenses he committed beginning in August 2008. Lancaster had prior convictions for violent crimes, including robbery and other drug offenses, and had been released from prison in June 2008. Lancaster was sentenced to serve 151 months in federal prison.

■A jury convicted Tyrone Hill on 11 counts involving use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense and possession with intent to distribute cocaine powder. Hill’s criminal conduct occurred from March 2009 until July 2009; at the same time, he was serving a deferred sentence for felony domestic abuse. Hill was sentenced to serve 140 months in federal prison.

■A jury convicted Ladell Pace on five counts involving use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine during late 2009. Numerous witnesses, including admitted prostitutes, testified that Pace had sold them crack cocaine regularly for several years. Pace had no prior criminal convictions. Pace was sentenced to serve 228 months in federal prison.

■A jury convicted Detrek Tucker of eight counts including use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and possession of a 12-gauge pump shotgun and numerous rounds of ammunition. Tucker has numerous prior convictions for offenses involving firearms and drugs and has served three nine-year prison terms, running concurrently, in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Tucker was sentenced to serve 262 months in federal prison.

In addition to the 51 defendants prosecuted in federal court, five more defendants were convicted in related cases in Oklahoma County District Court by the Oklahoma County District Attorney, David Prater:

■Emily Barnes—seven-year sentence on August 16, 2011 for possession of CDS;

■David Anthony Burkley—five-year suspended sentence on June 17, 2011 for endeavoring to possess CDS;

■Tasha Nicole Gurley—five-year suspended sentence on November 10, 2010 for endeavoring to possess CDS;

■Herman Eli Hall—five-year deferred sentence on November 10, 2010 for endeavoring to possess CDS; and

■Erika Denise Johnson—seven-year sentence on May 19, 2010 for distribution of CDS.

These cases were investigated by the Safe Streets Task Force including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Midwest City Police Department, and the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office. The 51 federal cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Maye and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Hines.

Robbery of Bank of America Branch in Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY—James E. Finch, Special Agent in Charge of the Oklahoma City Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announces the robbery of the Bank of America branch located at 5900 North Portland in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

At approximately 4:40 p.m. on April 20, 2012, a white male entered the bank and presented a note demanding money. The note was written on the bank’s deposit slip and stated, “All the money in the draw [sic] or I will shoot.” While gathering the money, the teller heard the robber say 30 seconds, then 20 seconds. The teller realized he was counting down and complied with the robber’s demand. The robber gathered an undisclosed amount of cash and left the bank. A direction of flight was not seen by any witness.

The robber was described as a white male with a dark complexion in his mid-to-late 20s with dark colored hair. He was approximately 5’8” in height and weighed approximately 160 pounds. The robber wore a red baseball cap, a dark shirt, and blue jeans. No weapon was seen during the robbery, and no one was injured.

This robbery is being investigated by the FBI and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Anyone with information regarding this robbery should contact the FBI at (405) 290-7770 (24 hour number). You may remain anonymous.

The Oklahoma Banker’s Association offers up to $2,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and/or conviction of anyone robbing a member bank.