Press Releases
BANK ROBBER SENTENCED TO OVER 9 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON
April 14, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GEORGE STEPHEN CUTHBERTSON, age 54, formerly a resident of Brinkley, Arkansas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to serve over nine (9) years (115 months) in federal custody, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition to the prison term, the Judge Zainey imposed a three-year term of supervised release when the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should he violate any terms of his supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay $26,608 in restitution and a special assessment of $800.
According to court documents, on November 8, 2007, CUTHBERTSON pled guilty in U. S. District in New Orleans to charges handed down in five (5) different judicial districts involving eight (8) counts of bank robbery.
According to court documents, at approximately 12:15 p.m. on Monday, June 25, 2007, the Omni Bank located at 5249 Veterans Boulevard in Metairie, Louisiana, was robbed by a lone white male. The robber approached the teller and displayed a demand note he was holding. The demand note read words to the effect of, “Please cooperate. I am armed with a pistol and I have my cell phone on. Give me all your 100’s and 50’s. No dye pack and don’t touch alarm.” The teller provided bank funds to the robber who then turned and exited the bank with the demand note. An audit conducted after the robbery established that approximately two thousand six hundred eighty ($2,680) dollars of bank funds were taken by the robber.
Based on the description provided by the victim teller and an examination of the bank surveillance video, the robber was described as follows: white male; approximately 6’00” tall; weighing approximately 240 pounds with a large potbelly; gray hair; in his mid 50’s; wearing a light-blue baseball cap with an unknown insignia on the front, gray t-shirt with a pocket over the left breast, faded jeans, and dark shoes.
The next day, Tuesday, June 26, 2007, the Alabama Credit Union, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, also was robbed by a lone white male. The robber approached the teller and displayed a demand note he was holding. The demand note read words to the effect of, “I have a pistol in my pocket. Put all the money in the bag. I have a partner in the car.” The teller provided bank funds to the robber who then turned and exited the bank with the demand note.
A witness outside of the Alabama Credit Union observed the robber enter a white Dodge van through the driver’s side door. The witness also observed the Arkansas license plate number on the van as it left the area and provided the license and vehicle information to responding police officers. An investigation by the Tuscaloosa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) determined the van to be a 1997 Dodge registered to CUTHBERTSON. A photo line-up which included the driver’s license photograph of CUTHBERTSON was shown to the Alabama Credit Union victim teller and the witness of that robbery. Both individuals positively identified CUTHBERTSON as the robber.
Bank surveillance photographs of the Omni Bank robbery on June 25, 2007 in Metairie and of the Alabama Credit Union on June 26, 2007 in Tuscaloosa were compared by special agents with the FBI. Further investigation revealed that CUTHBERTSON matched the physical description given by the Omni Bank teller. Based upon the identical physical appearance of the robber, and upon the fact that he was wearing the same clothing during both robberies, the agents suspected that CUTHBERTSON was responsible for the Omni Bank robbery as well.
Following the robbery of the Alabama Credit Union on June 26, 2007, a police broadcast of CUTHBERTSON and his vehicle was recognized by a detective with the Arkansas State Police in Brinkley, Arkansas. The Arkansas State Trooper has known CUTHBERTSON for more than one year because he owns a hunting camp next to CUTHBERTSON’s. On July 3, 2007, bank surveillance photographs from the Omni Bank robbery on June 25, 2007 in Metairie were provided to the Arkansas State Trooper who then positively identified CUTHBERTSON as the robber depicted in the photographs.
Also according to court documents, on July 10, 2007, CUTHBERTSON called law enforcement officers in Denton, Texas in order to surrender to the FBI. After being advised of his Constitutional rights, he was interviewed by task force officers and special agents of the FBI and admitted to committing eight (8) bank robberies between June 11, 2007 and July 3, 2007 in four (4) different states, including three (3) in Louisiana.
The robberies took place between June 11, 2007, and July 3, 2007. The eight banks were located in Kennesaw, Georgia; Monroe, Louisiana; West Memphis, Arkansas; Jonesboro, Arkansas; Shreveport, Louisiana; Metairie, Louisiana; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and Russellville, Arkansas. CUTHBERTSON had a similar method in most of the robberies, handing the victim bank tellers notes implying that he was carrying a dangerous weapon.
The case involving the Omni Bank robbery in Metairie was investigated by both the FBI and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Each of the other robberies was investigated by the FBI working in conjunction with local law enforcement authorities. All of the cases were prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Christopher Cox of the Violent Crime Unit.
