Two Madison Men Convicted of Armed Bank Robbery

Madison, Wisconsin—Erik C. Peterson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Corey J. Thomas, 28, and Prince P. Beck, 25, both of Madison, were convicted of conspiring to commit armed bank robberies and armed bank robbery last night following a four-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Madison. The jury deliberated for four hours before reaching a verdict.

Two co-conspirators, Lamar Liggons, 22, of Chicago, and Michael Simmons, 28, of Chicago, had earlier pleaded guilty to participating in the May 21, 2008 armed robbery of US Bank in the Town of Blooming Grove and both testified on behalf of the government during the trial.

The evidence presented at the trial showed that Thomas and Beck agreed to commit armed bank robberies and conducted surveillance of targeted banks. In addition to the conspiracy count, they were convicted of the May 21, 2008 armed robbery of US Bank in the Town of Blooming Grove. They were also convicted of using a firearm, a Tec-9 semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine, during the May 21 robbery.

Thomas and Beck were acquitted on a count charging them with the May 9, 2008 robbery of Bank Mutual on Odana Road in Madison.

U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb scheduled sentencing for Thomas on May 15, 2009 at 1:40 p.m. and for Beck on May 14, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. They each face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

Simmons will be sentenced on March 17, 2009 at 12:40 p.m. and Liggons will be sentenced on May 20, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. Simmons and Liggons each face a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison.

The charges against these men were the result of an investigation by the Dane County Sheriff's Department, the Madison Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Chicago Fugitive Task Force and the U.S. Marshals Service. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen P. Sinnott.