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Press Release

Atlanta Man Sentenced For Armed Bank Robbery

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia

ATLANTA – Armed career criminal Tavares Keith has been sentenced to nineteen and a half years in prison for the armed robbery of a BB&T Bank in Riverdale, Ga.

“This defendant terrorized bank employees and customers during an armed bank robbery, leaving lasting psychological scars,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.  “His violent actions earned the lengthy sentence the court imposed on him today.”

J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: "The quick response by the officers of the Riverdale Police Department set in motion not only the apprehension and prosecution of a career violent offender, but also to today's sentencing and his removal from our streets for many years.  The FBI commends those officers and prosecutors who ensured that Mr. Keith would be held accountable for his criminal career with today's lengthy prison sentence."

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: On March 10, 2014, Keith entered the BB&T Bank at 6375 Highway 85 in Riverdale, Ga., wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt and a black ski-mask.  He pointed a loaded .40 caliber handgun into the bank manager’s stomach and yelled, “Give me all the money!”  When the manager said he did not have any money, Keith forced the manager to take him to the teller line where Keith demanded that the tellers hand over the bank’s cash.  While Keith pointed his weapon at the bank tellers, the bank manager ran into his office and called the police.

After robbing the bank of approximately $4,140, Keith ran from the bank.  The police arrived quickly, and a witness pointed out the direction of Keith’s flight.  The police pursued Keith on foot and apprehended him after a short chase.  The police were able to recover all the money stolen from the bank, the black ski-mask, the brown hooded sweatshirt, a cell phone, a pair of gloves, and the loaded handgun.

Keith, 33, of Atlanta, Ga., has been sentenced to 19 years, seven months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.  Keith was convicted of these charges on July 25, 2014, after he pleaded guilty.  Keith, originally of Charleston, S.C., is an armed career criminal who had been previously convicted of multiple crimes, including at least four felonies.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Riverdale Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Suzette A. Smikle prosecuted the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.

Updated April 8, 2015