Pikeville man sentenced
By From staff reports
Published in News on December 20, 2013 1:46 PM
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Brian Garland Lancaster
GREENVILLE -- A Pikeville man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for the armed robbery of banks in Roanoke Rapids and Myrtle Beach, S.C., and for the attempted robbery of a Fremont bank.
Brian Garland Lancaster, 47, who had earlier pleaded guilty to the three charges, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle to a total of 84 months in prison, followed by five years of probation.
Lancaster pleaded guilty on Sept. 24 to two counts of armed bank robbery and to one count of attempted bank robbery.
According to the investigation, Lancaster robbed the First Citizens Bank in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Oct. 12, 2012, armed with a BB gun. He took approximately $6,190 in cash.
On Oct. 16, 2012, Lancaster approached the entrance to Heritage Bank in Fremont and pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head.
But a bank employee observed Lancaster's suspicious behavior and activated the automatic door lock feature and he fled the scene.
On Oct. 17, 2012, Lancaster entered the Southern Bank office in Roanoke Rapids armed with a BB gun. He pointed the gun at two tellers and ordered them to fill his bag with money. The tellers complied and Lancaster fled with $7,862.98 in cash.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, the Asheville Police Department, the Halifax Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Katherine Burnette prosecuted the case.
The case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate, targeting repeat offenders.