Three Indiana Men Sentenced for Berrien Teacher’s Credit Union Robbery

February 9, 2010 - GRAND RAPIDS, MI—Three northern Indiana men convicted of armed robbery of the Berrien Teacher’s Credit Union, located in Niles, Michigan, have been sentenced to federal prison for a total of 32 years, U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced today. Travis Lenois Allen, 27, Antiowan Devon Loftin, 26, and Chester Darnell Higgins, 31, are from Elkhart, Indiana. Allen and Loftin each received 7 years in prison, and Higgins received 18 years at their respective sentencings presided over by the Honorable Janet T. Neff. Following their release from prison, all three men will serve 5 years of supervised release and are ordered to pay restitution. Higgins’s sentence will be served consecutive to his 18-year Indiana sentence for another armed bank robbery for a combined total of 36 years.

On morning of October 11, 2007, Allen, Loftin, Higgins, and Devarence Kimbrough drove together to the Berrien Teachers Credit Union located at 1501 South Main Street, Niles, Michigan. Loftin dropped off Allen, Higgins, and Devarence Kimbrough and the three men entered the credit union. They brandished their handguns and took over the credit union. The employees were gathered in the lobby and forced to lie on floor, while robbers gathered money from the teller drawers and vault. The robbers took just over $207,000.00 and returned to Indiana.

On January 18, 2008, Devarence Kimbrough along with two other men, Glenn Maurice Porter, 22, and Travis Lamar Curry, 21, also from Elkhart, Indiana, returned to Niles, Michigan, and attempted to rob the same credit union. This time the robbers were confronted by an armed security guard. Porter was shot once in the buttocks. Kimbrough was shot twice in the chest and upper body and later died from his gunshot wounds. Porter and Curry were also prosecuted in federal court. Porter was sentenced to 12 ½ years in prison and Curry to 7 years.

U.S. Attorney Davis commended the outstanding cooperative efforts of the FBI, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department, Elkhart City Police Department, South Bend Police Department, and Michigan State Police, and thanked the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office and the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.

The investigation and prosecution of other armed bank robberies remain ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to call the FBI, the Michigan or Indiana State Police, or your county or local police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru prosecuted this case.