Tulsa Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy and Bank Robbery

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Edd Tawon Payne, 33, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty to bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery, at a hearing before District Judge Claire V. Eagan, on February 8, 2018.

On August 16, 2017, Payne, a co-defendant, and a juvenile conspired to rob the Bank of America located at 205 East Pine Street in Tulsa.  Payne and his co-conspirators wore disguises and used a “hoax bomb” to rob the bank.  Payne constructed his “hoax bomb” out of wires and a disassembled cell phone, shoved into a cosmetics bag.  The bank robbers took approximately $11,012 in cash from the Bank of America, some of which Payne used to purchase a vehicle.  Sentencing is set for May 7, 2018.  Payne’s co-defendant, Manuel Britto, previously pleaded guilty on January 3, 2018, and is also awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Shores stated, “Bank robberies are inherently violent offenses that can jeopardize the lives of bank employees and customers. My office has focused our attention on reducing violent crime and gun crime. We will continue to work with all of our law enforcement partners to improve the safety of our community.”

This prosecution resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tulsa Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Dennis A. Fries handled the prosecution of this case.