Three Arrested in Connection with Bank Robbery in Shawnee

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—James E. Finch, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Oklahoma, announced today the arrest of three men in connection with the recent robbery of a First United Bank branch in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Phillip Tyler Wayne Hammons, Abijah Aaron Gribble, and Colin James Vardy Smart, all of Pottawatomie County, were arrested during the late evening hours of Friday, July 16, 2010, and the early morning hours of Saturday, July 17, 2010. The arrests were made by the Shawnee Police Department, the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office, the District 23 District Attorney’s Task Force, and the FBI.

The First United Bank branch, located at 4439 North Kickapoo, Shawnee, was robbed at approximately 6:20 p.m. on Thursday, July 8, 2010, when a white male wearing a black ski mask entered the bank. The robber was armed with a gun, which was believed to be a revolver. After gathering the money, he fled with an accomplice in a small, black, two-door car.

Investigators searched residences in Shawnee and neighboring Tecumseh Friday and Saturday prior to the arrest. Hammons, of Shawnee, was an employee of the bank.

All three men are being held in Shawnee and face Federal bank robbery charges. They are expected to make their initial appearance in Federal Court in Oklahoma City later this week.