Final Defendant Sentenced in Robbery of Suntrust Bank in Morristown

GREENEVILLE, TN—Joshua Evans, 23, of Talbott, Tenn. was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, at Greeneville, by the Honorable Leon Jordan, U.S. District Judge, to serve 90 months in prison. The sentence was the result of his guilty plea on Jan. 5, 2011, to a federal indictment charging him with aiding and abetting the robbery of Suntrust Bank and the aiding and abetting of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

Joshua Evans drove the getaway car for Jamal Siler, who robbed the SunTrust Bank of Morristown, Tenn., on May 20, 2010. Siler entered the bank and pointed a firearm at bank employees. After obtaining money from a teller, Siler left in the car driven by Evans and accompanied by co-defendant Christopher L. Black, 21, of Jefferson City, Tenn. Siler, 18, of Morristown, Tenn., was sentenced to 117 months on Mar. 29, 2011. On Apr. 5, 2011, Black, who furnished the firearm to Siler, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison. The case was investigated by the Morristown Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Reeves represented the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws. It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences. PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community faces.

“This case is a good example of the need for and use of the Project Safe Neighborhood program. People like these defendants are the most dangerous in our society, and will be dealt with accordingly in the federal criminal justice system,” said U. S. Attorney Bill Killian.