“Crown Royal Bandit” Sentenced to Over 100 Years in Jail

BRUCE ALLEN HUGHES, 48, of Blairsville, Georgia, was sentenced February 1 by United States District Judge Richard W. Story to serve 127 years in federal prison on charges of conspiracy to commit the armed robbery of 29 banks over 11 years, five counts of armed bank robbery, six counts of using a firearm during the commission of a violent felony, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Acting United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said of today’s sentence, “This defendant victimized unsuspecting customers and employees of dozens of banks over the course of a decade. Today’s sentence effectively and justly ends the reign of terror of the Crown Royal Bandit, leaving him to spend the rest of his days behind bars.”

HUGHES was sentenced to 127 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of approximately $300,000. HUGHES pleaded guilty to the charges on August 21, 2009.

According to Acting United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: HUGHES pleaded guilty to charges related to armed bank robberies that occurred between May 7, 1997, and February 21, 2008, in the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia. HUGHES, who was also known as “Brian Scott Hughes,” “Bruce Alan Hughes,” and “Bruce Allen Hughes,” participated in 29 armed bank robberies, many of which involved the use of a mask and the display of a gun, which was fired during two of the bank robberies.

The FBI and other agencies referred to the string of robberies as having been committed by the “Crown Royal Bandit” because in the first few bank robberies the robber used purple “Crown Royal” liquor bags to collect the cash. The charges also included one robbery and use of a firearm during the commission of a violent felony in the Middle District of Georgia (Athens). In total, HUGHES stole over $300,000 in the robberies.

HUGHES was charged in a second superseding indictment in the Northern District of Georgia in June 2009 on two counts of conspiracy to commit armed bank robberies, four counts of armed bank robbery, five counts of use of a firearm during the commission of a violent felony, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Today, he was sentenced for all of those charges after pleading guilty in August 2009.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Significant assistance in this case was provided by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, the Banks County Sheriff’s Department, the Fannin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Madison County Sheriff’s Department.

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“Crown Royal Bandit” Pleads Guilty

BRUCE ALLEN HUGHES, 48, of Blairsville, Georgia, pleaded guilty this morning in federal district court to two counts of conspiracy to commit the armed robbery of 29 banks over 11 years, five counts of armed bank robbery, six counts of use of a firearm during the commission of a violent felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said, “Today’s guilty plea will lead to a life sentence for one of the most prolific armed bank robbers ever to plague the citizens of Georgia. Never again will this violent criminal terrorize another teller or customer as he did over the last decade. Thanks to literally years of exhaustive investigation, the reign of the Crown Royal Bandit is over.”

FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Greg Jones said, “The FBI is very pleased to close its case on the Crown Royal Bandit. The law enforcement resources expended on this investigation by the Atlanta FBI's Violent Crimes Squad were a necessary burden. The many bank employees and customers that bore the brunt emotionally of this defendant’s robberies can take some measure of satisfaction that he will now be off the streets and that the FBI stayed the course in the pursuit of justice.”

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: HUGHES pleaded guilty to charges related to armed bank robberies that occurred between May 7, 1997, and February 21, 2008, in the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia. HUGHES, who was also known as “Brian Scott Hughes,” “Bruce Alan Hughes,” and “Bruce Allen Hughes,” participated in 29 armed bank robberies, many of which involved the use of a mask and the display of a gun, which was fired during two of the bank robberies. The FBI and other agencies referred to the string of robberies as having been committed by the “Crown Royal Bandit” because in the first few bank robberies the robber used purple “Crown Royal” liquor bags to collect the cash. The charges include one robbery, and a charge of use of a firearm during the commission of a violent felony in the Middle District of Georgia (Athens). HUGHES stole a total of over $300,000 in the robberies.

HUGHES was charged in a second superseding indictment in the Northern District of Georgia in June of 2009 on two counts of conspiracy to commit armed bank robberies, four counts of armed bank robbery, five counts of use of a firearm during the commission of a violent felony, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Today, he pleaded guilty to all of the charges in both Districts. He could receive a maximum sentence of life plus 175 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 147 years in prison and a fine of up to $3,500,000. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

A sentencing date for HUGHES has not yet been set before United States District Judge Richard W. Story.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Significant assistance in this case has been provided by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, the Banks County Sheriff’s Department, the Fannin County Sheriff’s Department and the Madison County Sheriff’s Department.

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Fugitive Marijuana Grower Convicted by Federal Jury

Late November 19, a jury in federal district court returned a guilty verdict against ANDREW N. COX, 45, of Blairsville, Georgia on charges of conspiring to manufacture and attempting to manufacture marijuana in and around the Chattahoochee National Forest in north Georgia in the spring of 2004. The evidence presented at trial showed that COX, who was originally indicted on January 11, 2005, fled after he was indicted and remained a fugitive until he was apprehended by authorities in Casa Grande, Arizona more than three years later, on February 13, 2008.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of the verdict, “With tightened border security, America’s national forests are a battleground in our fight against the illegal drug business. This verdict sends a message to all who exploit and destroy our natural resources to profit off of the illegal domestic drug trade, and those who flee from justice. We will find you, and then we will prosecute you to the full extent of the law. The U.S. Forest Service should be commended for its outstanding work in a difficult investigation.”

Russ Arthur, Supervisory Special Agent, United States Department of Agriculture, United States Forest Service, Law Enforcement & Investigations Unit, said of the jury’s verdict, “This case exemplifies the importance of multiple agency cooperation. Our limited resources, compounded with the complexity of this case, made this positive outcome extremely difficult. We sincerely appreciate the level of support from all local, state and federal agencies who came to our aid.”

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: Between early 2004 through July 2004, COX conspired in a marijuana manufacturing conspiracy with three other men, JOSE QUEZADAS-FIERROS, PACIANO VARGAS-HERNANDEZ, and MAYOLO VARGAS-VILLENUEVA. COX hired the three men to plant and cultivate marijuana on private and U.S. Forest Service property using a landscaping company as a front, and using private property owned by COX’s father as a staging area to begin growing seedlings in hundreds of plastic starter cups. The co-conspirators then prepared three marijuana grow sites on private and public land, destroying underbrush and trees to do so, and transplanted the seedlings into the forest. During their investigation U.S. Forest Service agents discovered 724 seedlings in the yard of COX’s father’s property and an additional 594 plants at three separate grow sites in the adjacent forest, ranging in maturity from 3 to 4 inches to 4 ½ feet tall, for a total of 1,318 plants.

The co-conspirators – QUEZADAS-FIERROS, VARGAS-HERNANDEZ, and VARGAS-VILLENUEVA – were indicted and pleaded guilty to related charges in 2004 and 2006.

Because COX has two prior felony drug convictions and the jury found that the conspiracy involved at least 1,000 marijuana plants, COX faces a mandatory life sentence for this crime. There is no parole in the federal justice system. Sentencing is scheduled for February 6, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. before Senior United States District Judge William C. O’Kelley at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Georgia.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.com.

This case was investigated by the United States Forest Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Appalachian Drug Task Force. Additional assistance was provided by the Casa Grande, Arizona Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney David M. Chaiken is prosecuting the case.

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