Final Defendant Sentenced in Interstate Bank Robbery Scheme Touching Eight States

Zarqurous Lequis Sanders, 25 of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced October 30 to 137 months’ imprisonment for his role in a conspiracy to commit numerous bank robberies in Virginia and several other states. In imposing the sentence, United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson also ordered Sanders to pay restitution to the various victims in the amount of $151,342. Sanders is the third of three men sentenced for the conspiracy. On May 15, 2009, Judge Hudson sentenced Sylvester Fred Mullins, age 35, of McDonough, Georgia, to 71 months’ confinement and ordered Mullins to pay $37,122 in restitution. On July 7, 2009, Judge Hudson sentenced Malik Rahmel Dillard, age 26, of Atlanta Georgia, the ringleader of this group, to 288 months’ confinement and ordered him to pay $178,425 in restitution. The sentencings were announced by Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Jennifer Love, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Richmond Division.

According to the documents filed in connection with the case, Dillard, Sanders, and Mullins admitted to their respective roles in a string of armed robberies that began on May 5, 2008 and continued until July 21, 2008, at various banks located in Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and Tennessee. Dillard admitted that he was the common participant in each of the robberies as the scheme progressed, with others, such as Mullins and Sanders, joining him at various times to commit different robberies. Although no firearms were used in these robberies, the conspirators threatened to injure the victim bank employees in each robbery if those employees did not comply with the demands of the robbers. In connection with their guilty pleas, Dillard, Sanders, and Mullins stipulated to their joint roles in the following robberies, which collectively resulted in actual losses of $178,425.00 to the victim banks:

a. May 5, 2008 – Dillard and another person robbed the Suntrust Bank, located at 760 W. Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Georgia and stole approximately $1,999.00.

b. May 5, 2008 – Dillard and another person robbed the BB&T Bank, located at 991 Eagles Landing Parkway, Stockbridge, Georgia and stole approximately $5,680.00.

c. May 5, 2008 – Dillard and another person attempted to rob the Georgia Federal Credit Union, located at 2695 Panola Road, Lithonia, Georgia.

d. May 8, 2008 – Dillard and Mullins robbed the PNC Bank, located at 5436 Jefferson Davis Highway, Fredericksburg, Virginia and stole approximately $3,066.00.

e. May 15, 2008 – Dillard and Mullins robbed the SunTrust Bank, located at 118 Small Pine Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina and stole approximately $8,454.00.

f. May 28, 2008 – Dillard and Mullins robbed the SunTrust Bank, located at 9617 Holly Point Drive, Huntersville, North Carolina and stole approximately $7,884.00.

g. June 3, 2008 – Dillard, Mullins, and co-defendant Zarqurous Lequis Sanders robbed the SunTrust Bank, located at 7001 Lee Highway, Chattanooga, Tennessee and stole approximately $5,728.00.

h. June 6, 2008 – Dillard, Sanders, and another person robbed the SunTrust Bank, located at 950 North Harrison Avenue, Cary, North Carolina and stole approximately $18,979.00.

i. June 10, 2008 – Dillard, Sanders, and another person robbed the M & F Bank, located at 101 Riverchase Parkway, Hoover, Alabama and stole approximately $25,600.00.

j. June 13, 2008 – Dillard, Sanders, and another person robbed the SunTrust Bank, located at 4030 Glenside Drive, Richmond, Virginia and stole approximately $30,996.00.

k. June 24, 2008 – Dillard, Sanders, and another person robbed the First Citizens Bank, located at 8541 Concord Mills Boulevard, Concord, North Carolina and stole approximately $20,200.00.

l. July 3, 2008 – Dillard, Mullins, Sanders, and another person robbed the First Citizens Bank, located at 4801 Capital Boulevard, Raleigh, North Carolina and stole approximately $11,990.00.

m. July 10, 2008 – Dillard, Sanders, and another person robbed the National City Bank, located at 8306 Cincinnati Dayton Road, West Chester, Ohio and stole approximately $10,313.00.

n. July 10, 2008 – Dillard, Sanders, and another person robbed the PNC Bank, located at 939 Hempstead Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio and stole approximately $27,536.00.

o. July 21, 2008 – Dillard and another person robbed the PNC Bank, located at 1327 Riverside Parkway, Belcamp, Maryland, and stole approximately $11,216.00.

p. July 21, 2008 – Dillard and another person robbed the PNC Bank, located at 505 Thornall Street, Edison, New Jersey, and stole approximately $8,130.00.

As part of their plea agreements with the United Statest, Dillard, Sanders, and Mullins agreed that all of the robberies they participated in should be considered “relevant conduct” for calculating their sentences, resulting in each defendant being punished for his role in stealing money from the banks within and outside of Virginia.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page