NEWS RELEASE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
John L. Brownlee United States Attorney Brian McGinn Public Affairs Specialist |
BB&T Building 310 1st Street, S.W., Room 906 Roanoke, Virginia 24011 (540) 857-2974 FAX (540) 857-2179 |
April 28, 2008
BANK ROBBER PLEADS GUILTY AFTER SPENDING ALMOST 20 YEARS ON THE RUN AS A FUGITIVE
United States Attorney John L. Brownlee announced today that Samuel Jacob Webb, age 45, formerly of Kingsport, Tennessee, pled guilty in United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon to a bank robbery he committed nearly 20 years ago.
“For the last 20 years, Mr. Webb thought he could avoid prosecution for his crimes by hiding from law enforcement,” United States Attorney John Brownlee said today. “However, the men and women who have investigated this case since 1989 never wavered in their determination to bring this fugitive to justice and for that I am grateful to them.”
Webb admitted in District Court last week that he used force, violence or intimidation to rob Dominion Bank in Abingdon on the morning of September 19, 1989. The defendant was charged in a one count indictment in November 1989.
According to the indictment, Webb placed the lives of the bank tellers and bank customers in jeopardy by using a dangerous weapon, specifically a handgun, during the robbery.
Until his arrest in January of 2008, Webb had been a fugitive for nearly 20 years. He was able to conceal his true identity for nearly two decades by stealing the identity of a stranger and using that individual’s birth date and social security number to create a false identity.
However, thanks to the work of the Hendersonville, Tennessee Police Department, who uncovered Webb’s 20-year string of lies during an interview with the defendant that took place at the Sumner County Jail regarding unrelated criminal charges, the defendant’s true identity was revealed.
The maximum penalty faced by the Webb is 25 years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled by the court.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Sharon Burnham is prosecuting the case.