Federal Jury Convicts Georgia Man for Armed Bank Robbery in Munford

A federal jury today (November 12) convicted a Georgia man for conspiring with and committing an armed bank robbery with three other individuals in Munford in June, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick Maley.

The jury convicted TYCORY “T.C.” HILL, 24, of Decatur, Ga., of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, armed bank robbery, and using a firearm during a crime of violence, all in connection with the June 10 robbery of the Munford Branch of the First National Bank of Talladega. Jurors returned their verdict after deliberating about three hours on the two days of testimony before U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler.

“Good, solid police work by local and federal law enforcement, working together, led to one of the defendants, who cooperated and provided information that led to the other defendants in the bank robbery,” Vance said. “Three men burst into the Munford bank brandishing guns, threatening the lives of everyone inside and taking more than $177,000. The law enforcement officers in this case deserve to be commended for apprehending the bank robbers and helping bring them all to justice,” she said.

Two of the co-defendants, cousins JUSTIN COLE, 21, and JOHNATHAN COLE, 20, both of Gadsden, pleaded guilty in August to the conspiracy, armed robbery and firearm counts. BRITTNEY TRIMBLE, 20, also of Gadsden, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and armed robbery. All three testified for the government in HILL’s trial.

According to testimony, the bank robbery occurred as follows:

HILL and the two other men, JUSTIN and JOHNATHAN COLE, entered the bank in Munford on June 10 armed and wearing either a mask or bandana over their faces. The robbers jumped the teller counter, pointed guns at tellers, demanded money and threatened to kill tellers if they did not comply. The robbers took money from the bank vault and from teller drawers, escaping with about $177,795.

The robbers fled the bank in a stolen car, which they drove to a nearby apartment complex and abandoned. TRIMBLE was waiting at the complex with another getaway car.

The maximum prison sentence for conspiracy to commit armed robbery is five years. The maximum prison sentence for armed bank robbery is 25 years. The firearms charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of seven years and a maximum of life in prison. The firearms sentence must be served consecutively to any sentence on the other convictions.

This case was investigated by the Talladega County Sheriff’s Office, special agents of the FBI field office in Gadsden, the Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit and the Gadsden Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim Weil and Praveen Krishna.

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Masked Armed Bank Robber Arrested

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Brian D. Lamkin, FBI Atlanta, in conjunction with the Atlanta Police Department, announces the arrest of the following individual, responsible for September 9, 2010 robbery of the Chase Bank, located at 3330 Piedmont Road, Atlanta, Georgia:

Abdul Khaliq Amin, age 52, was arrested after an FBI SWAT entry was made at a Decatur, Georgia residence earlier this morning. A crucial tip from a viewer of a local area television station broadcasting photographs of the robber prior to donning his robbery mask was considered instrumental in today’s arrest.

Amin will have his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Atlanta, Georgia later this afternoon.

On Tuesday, September 7, 2010, during the mid morning hours, a lone black male entered the Chase Bank, located at 3330 Piedmont Road, Atlanta, Georgia, and, after putting on a porcelain doll-type facemask, entered the above bank and brandished a semi automatic handgun while announcing a robbery. The robber then jumped over the teller counter and forcibly obtained an undisclosed amount of money.

The robber was described as being a black male, late 30’s to late 40’s in age, 5’8” - 5’10” in height, scruffy beard/facial hair, prescription eye glasses, black wool cap, white t-shirt, blue jeans, silver semi-auto handgun, porcelain doll-type facemask.

While the robber was masked, two very detailed photographs of the robbers face were taken by the bank’s ATM just prior to the robber placing the mask over his face.

It is noted that the above are mere allegations and that all persons are to be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Former Grady Hospital Emergency Room Doctor Sentenced to Over 26 Years in Child Exploitation Case

DR. ADAM WAYNE LEBOWITZ, 50, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced July 12 by United States District Judge Richard W. Story on charges of producing child pornography and attempting to coerce and entice a minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. LEBOWITZ was convicted of the charges by a jury on February 25, 2010, after a seven-day trial.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said of the sentence, “As a doctor, this defendant took an oath to ‘never do harm’ to anyone. He not only violated that oath, he sexually violated children and then published his violation on the Internet, victimizing the children each time the videos were viewed. His long term of incarceration ensures that he will no longer threaten another child.”

FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Lamkin said, “Today's sentencing should remind us all that child predators come from all walks of life and efforts to offer profiles of such individuals to a concerned public are elusive at best for this very reason. The investigation and resulting successful prosecution of Mr. Lebowitz also serves as a good example of the need for parents to not only remain vigilant but to report suspicious activities to law enforcement authorities in order to protect their children from such predators.”

Coweta County Sheriff Michael Yeager said, “I appreciate a lot of hard work by many agencies to bring this case to a successful conclusion. Parents, get involved and stay involved with your children. Know where they are and who they are in contact with. As long as individuals like this continue to prey on our youth, law enforcement will be there to put them away, hopefully for a long time.”

LEBOWITZ was sentenced to 26 years and eight months in federal prison. He was also ordered to have no contact with victims in the case, and must register as a sex offender upon release from prison.

According to United States Attorney Yates, and the evidence presented in court at his trial: LEBOWITZ came to the attention of law enforcement officers at the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office on October 26, 2006, after a victim, a 15-year-old boy, received a series of e-mails and sexually graphic instant messages from LEBOWITZ. The victim’s mother contacted the sheriff’s office and reported these online messages sent by LEBOWITZ to her son. The sheriff's office then began an undercover investigation of LEBOWITZ that culminated in his arrest in the driveway of the victim’s home on November 2, 2006. Evidence at trial showed LEBOWITZ had multiple condoms and sexual lubricants inside his vehicle at the time of his arrest, and had planned to transport the victim to LEBOWITZ’s home in Decatur, Georgia.

Following the arrest, the sheriff’s office obtained and executed a search warrant of LEBOWITZ’s home. During the search, investigators seized three computers, two of which contained video recordings of LEBOWITZ engaged in sex acts with two young boys. Members of the FBI’s Safe Child Task Force identified the victims in the video recordings and contacted them. Both victims revealed that LEBOWITZ had recorded himself engaged in graphic sex acts with these victims when both were minors. An examination of LEBOWITZ’s computers, performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), revealed that LEBOWITZ had sent images from his recordings of the two young victims over the Internet. He was indicted on the charges on June 12, 2007, and a superseding indictment was filed on February 9, 2010.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by members of the FBI’s Safe Child Task Force, the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, the Clayton County Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), with valuable assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Computer Forensics Division. Assistance in this case was also provided by the Coweta County District Attorney’s Office.

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Former Grady Hospital Emergency Room Doctor Convicted of Child Exploitation Crimes

A federal jury today returned guilty verdicts against DR. ADAM WAYNE LEBOWITZ, 50, of Decatur, Georgia, on one count of producing child pornography and one count of attempting to coerce and entice a minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. The jury found him not guilty on another count of producing child pornography.

Acting United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said of the verdicts, “If not for the diligence of a mother and her son, and the quick work of county and federal law enforcement, this doctor could still be preying upon young victims. As a doctor, this defendant was responsible for protecting the health and safety of children, but instead endangered the physical and emotional safety of children by exploiting them. He will no longer be able to do that behind the bars of a federal prison.”

FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Greg Jones said, “Dr. Lebowitz had a bright career wherein he had committed himself to helping others. Dr. Lebowitz forfeited that career by instead engaging in acts that exploited minor children and further acts that, without law enforcement intervention, would have exploited and victimized a minor child. This is a very unfortunate case but one that should serve as an example to parents that predators come from all walks of life and that parents must remain vigilant in order to play a role in proactively protecting their children.”

Coweta County Sheriff Michael Yeager said, “The Coweta County Sheriff's Office appreciates the work of the U.S. Attorney's Office and all agencies involved in bringing this case forward. Hopefully a very long period of incarceration will follow so no one else will encounter this individual.”

Clayton County Police Chief Timothy Robinson said, “I am proud to have our agency working closely with the FBI and the Safe Child Task Force. Because of the hard work, dedication and collaboration of these agencies, another child predator is off of our streets. It is just another example of how communities benefit from Multi-Jurisdictional Task Forces.”

According to Acting United States Attorney Yates, and the evidence presented in court: LEBOWITZ came to the attention of law enforcement officers at the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office on October 26, 2006, afer a victim, a 15-year-old boy, received a series of e-mails on the MySpace website, and sexually graphic instant messages on the AOL website, from LEBOWITZ. The victim’s mother contacted the sheriff’s office and reported these online messages sent by LEBOWITZ to her son. The sheriff's office then began an undercover investigation of LEBOWITZ that culminated in his arrest in the driveway of the victim’s home on November 2, 2006. Evidence at trial showed LEBOWITZ had planned to transport the victim to LEBOWITZ’s home in Decatur, Georgia, and had multiple condoms and sexual lubricants inside his vehicle at the time of his arrest.

Following the arrest, the sheriff’s office obtained and executed a warrant to search LEBOWITZ’s home. During the search, investigators seized three computers, two of which contained video recordings of LEBOWITZ engaged in sex acts with two young boys. Investigators discovered that these same video recordings were located on a VHS tape found inside his home during the search. Members of the FBI’s “Safe Child Task Force” identified the victims in the video recordings and contacted them. Both victims revealed that LEBOWITZ had recorded himself engaged in graphic sex acts with these victims when both were minors. An examination of LEBOWITZ’s computers, performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), revealed that LEBOWITZ had sent images from his recordings of the two young victims over the Internet. He was indicted on the charges on June 12, 2007, and a superseding indictment was filed on February 9, 2010.

A sentencing date for LEBOWITZ has not yet been set before United States District Judge Richard W. Story. LEBOWITZ faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment as to Count Two of producing pornography, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison up to a maximum sentence of life in prison on Count Three, the attempt to coerce a minor.

This case was investigated by members of the FBI’s “Safe Child Task Force,” the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, the Clayton County Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) with valuable assistance from U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Computer Forensics Division. Assistance in this case has also been provided by the Coweta County District Attorney’s Office.

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Two Fulton County Sherriff's Lieuttenants Arrested

Lieutenant ROBERT W. HILL, JR., 46, of Decatur, Georgia, and Lieutenant EARL GLENN, 47, of McDonough, Georgia, both Fulton County Deputy Sheriffs at the Fulton County Jail, were arrested yesterday by FBI agents after a federal grand jury indicted each of them for violating the civil rights of an inmate, obstructing justice, filing a false report, and making false statements to federal agents. The defendants will make their initial appearances before a United States Magistrate Judge later today.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said, “About a month ago, we announced that a former Fulton County Jail officer had been charged with federal crimes for allegedly beating an inmate and obstructing the investigation of that and another incident at the jail. We warned that the federal charges should serve as a wake-up call to other officers who have violated the civil rights of jail inmates or who believe they can get away with obstructing our efforts to uncover the truth. Today two more officers - this time two Lieutenants - were arrested at the jail after a federal grand jury indicted them for separate assaults on another inmate and for trying to obstruct our investigation.”

Nahmias continued, “We are continuing to investigate these incidents and others at the Fulton County Jail. Our message today, to any other officers who have been involved in assaults on inmates or obstruction of the truth, is simple: Did you think we were kidding? You will be much better off calling the FBI now, before you too are led out of the jail or your home in handcuffs.”

FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Greg Jones said, “Obstructing an FBI investigation only strengthens our resolve to find the truth and bring to justice those involved in such egregious conduct.”

Fulton County Sheriff Ted Jackson said, “We are continuing to work in concert with the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office in this ongoing investigation. We will absolutely not tolerate any violation of civil rights and will work to weed out any and all jail personnel who themselves break the law.”

The federal indictment charges HILL with causing injury to a Fulton County Jail inmate by using excessive force against the inmate on August 9, 2008; soliciting subordinates to commit civil rights violations against Fulton County Jail inmates; making a false report about the use of force incident; making a false statement to FBI agents; and obstructing the federal investigation of the matter.

The federal indictment charges GLENN with causing injury to a Fulton County Jail inmate by using excessive force against the inmate on August 9, 2008; making a false report about the use of force incident; making a false statement to FBI agents; and obstructing the federal investigation of the matter.

The maximum sentence for both defendants for the violation of civil rights count is 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The maximum sentence for both defendants for the false report count is 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The maximum sentence for both defendants for the obstruction count is 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The maximum sentence for both defendants for the false statement count is 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The maximum sentence for HILL’s solicitation to commit a civil rights violation is 5 years in prison and a fine of $125,000.

Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaint contains only allegations. Each defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brent Alan Gray and Angela M. Jordan are prosecuting the case.

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Bank-Robbing 'Dracula' Sentenced to Over 20 Years in Prison‏

NATHANIEL LITTLE, JR., 43, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr., to serve more than 20 years in prison on charges of armed bank robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said, “Today’s sentence drives a stake into the heart of a simple yet dangerous crime: robbing banks. This “Dracula” bandit will now spend many nights in the dark and confined cavern of a prison cell. In this scary economy, robbing banks may seem like a quick way for criminals to get money, but the real horror begins once they caught.”

FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Gregory Jones said, “The FBI would like to thank the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office and the DeKalb County Police Department for their assistance in this investigation. It was with their help the FBI was able to successfully track Little and ultimately remove an armed and dangerous criminal from our community.”

LITTLE was sentenced to 20 years in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $14,669. LITTLE pleaded guilty to the charges on November 12, 2008.

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: On the morning of August 23, 2006, LITTLE, wearing a Dracula mask, walked into the CDC Federal Credit Union on Brandywine Road in Atlanta with a semi-automatic gun in his hand. He placed a bag on the counter and, while pointing the gun, yelled at the tellers to fill it up. After getting the money, the defendant fled the bank. A little over a month later, on September 29, 2006, LITTLE robbed the same CDC Federal Credit Union in the same way: he walked in wearing a Dracula mask and carrying a semi-automatic handgun, he placed a bag on the counter and, while pointing the gun at the tellers, he ordered them to fill up his bag. At one point during this robbery, LITTLE shouted at a teller, “Don’t make me have to shoot you.” After getting the money, he fled the bank. The FBI later tracked a car that had been parked near the robbery and, after a lengthy investigation, located key witnesses, which helped investigators identify LITTLE, who had been arrested on unrelated state charges after the robberies.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the FBI.

Assistant United States Attorney Matthew T. Jackson prosecuted the case.

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