Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Bank Robbery of a Charleston Bank

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced that Cory Ray Christie, age 38, of Guyton, Georgia, was sentenced yesterday in federal court for bank robbery.  On August 23, 2017, Christie pleaded guilty to bank robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a).  Evidence presented in court established that on August 17, 2016, Christie entered the South State Bank on Savannah Highway in Charleston. Christie entered the bank, approached the teller, and stated “just give me the money and no one gets hurt.”  Christie stole approximately $2,880.  The bank’s surveillance system captured Christie during the robbery and officers were able to obtain a description of his vehicle, which was tracked travelling south on Savannah Highway.  After his arrest, officers found a shirt matching the shirt worn by the robbery suspect in Christie’s car and shoes matching the suspect’s shoes at Christie’s home.  Further, cell site records confirmed that Christie’s phone was located very close to the coordinates of the South State Bank at the time of the robbery.  Christie’s phone search history indicated that on the same day as the robbery, his cell phone was used to conduct a google search of “Charlestown sc bank robbery.”

On August 10, 2018, United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Christie to 240 months imprisonment.  Citing Christie’s 16 prior bank robbery convictions, Judge Gergel imposed the maximum penalty under the law. At sentencing, Judge Gergel recognized that Christie robbed the South State Bank only a few months after his release from a 137-month federal prison sentence for bank robbery.

The City of Charleston Police Department investigated the case in conjunction with the FBI.  Assistant United States Attorney Emily Limehouse of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.