Atlanta Bank Robbers Arrested at Dekalb

ATLANTA—Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Lamkin, FBI Atlanta, in conjunction with the Dekalb County Police Department, announces the arrest of three individuals subsequent to an armed robbery of the Chase Bank, located at 3007 Panola Road, Lithonia, Georgia on Monday, October 4, 2010.

On Monday, October 4, 2010, at approximately 12:04 p.m., two armed subjects entered the Chase Bank, located at 3007 Panola Road, Lithonia, Georgia while a third individual waited outside in a black Cadillac vehicle. The two robbers that entered the bank ordered everyone down on the floor. At one point during the robbery, a teller and bank customer had guns put to their heads. While unable to access the bank’s money, a change machine was taken and a bank customer was robbed. The two robbers then fled the bank and were observed by Dekalb P.D. uniformed officers departing in the awaiting black Cadillac, driven by the third individual. A brief chase ensued wherein the robbers departed the vehicle at the Creekside Crossing Apartments, Dekalb County. All three individuals were taken into custody at the scene. The recovered vehicle had been stolen via carjacking on October 2, 2010.

Arrested at the scene were:

• Yaharam Ben Yisrael, black male, age 30, of Atlanta
• Kelton Malik Huger, black male, age 38, of Atlanta
• Lucius Oliver Service, black male, age 22, of Atlanta

All three individuals are being charged federally on armed bank robbery related charges and will have their initial appearances today in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Baverman in Atlanta.

These same individuals are also suspected as being responsible for the robbery of the Chase Bank, located at 1250 Tech Drive, Norcross, Georgia.

On Thursday, September 30, 2010, at approximately 12:40 p.m., two black males wearing masks entered the Chase Bank, located at 1250 Tech Drive, Norcross, Georgia. Customers were forced to the floor while one of the robbers stood by with a long weapon/machine pistol type firearm. The other robber approached the teller station and demanded money. The robbers did not, however, obtain any money and were observed departing in a gold colored Kia Spectra, recovered by law enforcement officers in an area behind the victim bank. The vehicle had been reported stolen in Dekalb County, Georgia on September 29, 2010. A third individual, serving as the getaway driver for the two, is also being sought by authorities

The FBI, along with metro Atlanta area law enforcement has investigated numerous take-over style bank robbers within the metro Atlanta area within the past several months.

As a result of today’s robbery, Wells Fargo has authorized a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individuals responsible for these take-over robberies.

Anyone with information regarding this matter should contact the Atlanta FBI at (404) 679-9000.