Police and courts in the Lexington, Ky., area
By Becky Barnes
Three of the five individuals accused of robbing or being accomplices to area bank robberies have entered guilty pleas to their charges. The remaining two will be on trial next week.
On Friday, Nov. 26, Jeffrey Allen Pratt, 30, pleaded guilty to two central Kentucky bank robberies in U.S. District Court in Lexington.
Read more in the Cynthiana Democrat.
Herald-Leader Staff Report
A man who didn’t put much effort into disguising himself during Tuesday’s bank robbery is arrested less than 24 hours later.
Anthony Wayne Garrison of Lexington was arrested late Tuesday night for the rob
bery of Whitaker Bank on Paris Pike, which occurred Tuesday morning.
A police officer noticed a vehicle matching the description of the robbery suspect’s car parked in front of the Sportsman Motel located at 1107 Winchester Road, according to a Lexington Police press release.
Garrison was arrested on the charges of robbery and tampering with physical evidence. Garrison tried to destroy money that was stolen from the bank prior to his arrest, but some of the money was able to be recovered.
Before the robbery on Tuesday, surveillance video showed and bank employees said Garrison acted like a typical customer and stood in line to be waited on. He also made no attempt to disguise himself.
Man robs Whitaker Bank
Lexington police are looking for a man who robbed a bank this morning.
A little before 9:30 a.m., police were called to Whitaker Bank, 2311 Paris Pike.
The robber entered the bank, waited in line and eventually approached the tellers. He implied that he had a weapon and demanded money.
The bank employees complied with his demands and he fled, getting into a silver Dodge Stratus with an undisclosed amount of money. He was last seen driving toward downtown on Paris Pike.
The robber is described as a black man in his 30s, approximately 6 feet tall with a slim build. He was wearing a black knit cap with a small bill. He removed his sunglasses as he entered the bank. He was dressed in a dark-gray sweatshirt, jeans and white sneakers.
Anyone with information relating to this investigation is asked to call police at (859)258-3700 or Bluegrass Crime Stoppers at (859)253-2020, text “tips2020” plus your message to CRIMES (274637) or www.bluegrasscrimestoppers.com.
By Greg Kocher
gkocher1@herald-leader.com
Two women — one of whom police said disguised herself as a man — were charged in connection with the Wednesday robbery of a Danville bank.
Retta Dennis, 31, and Becky Metcalfe, 32, both of Frankfort, were charged with first-degree robbery and tampering with physical evidence, said Danville Police Chief Jay Newell.
“This was the first time that our suspects have been women in a bank robbery,” Newell said. “We’ve had women that have used makeup and have tried to conceal themselves, not necessarily their gender, in other robberies like pharmacies and businesses. But it’s not very often, that I’m aware of, that women have targeted banks.”
Shortly before 2:30 p.m., a robbery was reported at Lawrenceburg National Bank off the U.S. 150 Bypass on Danville’s west side.
Newell said the robber entered the bank wearing a fake dark mustache, a stocking cap and sunglasses. Newell wouldn’t say which woman entered the bank, but he said the robber held out a note to a teller “and indicated not to put any dye packs in the money, that it was a robbery and there was a weapon involved, though no weapon was seen or recovered,” Newell said.
About 30 minutes later, Newell, who was driving on Perryville Road near the bank, was alerted by Perryville Police Chief Charlie Parks that a car matching the vehicle description from the robbery was headed toward Newell.
Newell pulled the car over with the backup of Parks and Boyle County Deputy Sheriff Marty Elliott, and took the two suspects into custody.
“It was very good teamwork that led us to get them picked up so quickly,” Newell said. “We couldn’t have done it without all the other law enforcement agencies pitching in to help.”
Dennis and Metcalfe remain in the Boyle County jail without bond.
Fifth-Third Bank Robbery Suspect on Nov. 3, 2008
An armed man wearing a disguise ran into the Fifth Third Bank, located at 2225 Versailles Road at approximately 11:44 a.m. today, displaying a handgun and demanding money. Bank tellers complied with his demands and the man fled the bank on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. No one that was present was injured.
The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6’0” to 6’2” tall and around 185 pounds. He was wearing blue jeans, a light colored long-sleeved jacket or shirt, a blonde wig and a transparent clown mask that had painted red lips and blue eyes. He was carrying a small tan bag. Attached are surveillance photographs taken of the suspect.
Anyone with information relating to this investigation is asked to please contact the Personal Crimes Section at (859) 258-3700 or Bluegrass Crime Stoppers at (859) 253-2020.
Michael D. Farler
Versailles police on Saturday announced the identification of a suspect in a bank robbery Thursday.
Michael D. Farler, 27, of Franklin County, is wanted for the robbery Thursday of the United Bank and Trust Co. in Midway.
If you know where Farler is or have seen him, call Versailles police, (859) 873-3126.
Earlier: Police hope video can help them ID suspect
Versailles Police released surveillance video on Friday of a suspect in a Thursday bank robbery in Midway, Ky. Anyone with information about the man in this video should call Versailles police, (859) 873-3126.
By Steve Lannen
slannen@herald-leader.com
UPDATED: See video from the case.
A robbery a little after 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon at the United Bank and Trust Co. in Midway prompted a lockdown for students in town.
Northside Elementary School and Midway College were placed on lockdown for about two hours while police searched for the suspect, who had fled on foot from North Gratz Street, according to police.
A Versailles police dog and Lexington police helicopter searched for the suspect, but did not find the man, said Versailles Police Officer Pat Melton.
The suspect was described as follows:
■ White man in his early 20s.
■ Five feet, seven inches to five feet, eight inches tall.
■ 150-160 pounds.
■ He wore a dark baseball cap and mirrored sunglasses with a mustache.
■ He was wearing a dark sweatshirt with white stripes on each sleeve and horizontal white stripe across the front. He wore light-colored pants and dark shoes.
If anyone has information about the suspect or his whereabouts, call Versailles police at (859) 873-3126.
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