Man Pleads Guilty Following Bank Robbing Spree Across Georgia

MACON – A defendant linked to bank robberies in three Middle and Southwest Georgia cities during September 2017 entered a guilty plea in Macon federal court Thursday, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Clifford Terrell, 44, of Barnesville, GA pleaded guilty to one count of Bank Robbery on May 2, 2019 before the Honorable Marc Treadwell. Mr. Terrell will be sentenced on August 7, 2019 by Judge Treadwell in federal court in Macon.

According to his signed plea agreement, Mr. Terrell admitted to committing three bank robberies in the Middle District of Georgia. The first occurred on September 5, 2017 at the BB&T on North Lee Street in Forsyth. The second happened ten days later, on September 10, 2017, at the CB&T on Milgen Road in Columbus, and the third bank robbery was on September 22, 2017, at the SB&T on Zebulon Road in Macon. During all three robberies, the defendant entered the bank and slid a note to the teller demanding $2500 cash. During the third robbery in Macon, the SB&T teller did not realize at first that the bank was being robbed, and communicated to Mr. Terrell that he had filled out the wrong slip for a withdrawal. After a brief exchange, Mr. Terrell said to the teller, “I’m not teasing, I want you to give me $2500… I don’t want to hurt anybody and I don’t want to see any police.” The teller handed over the cash in a small bag containing a dye explosive. Mr. Terrell was identified as the suspect following the Macon robbery after witnesses told the investigator the tag number to his vehicle. A search warrant was obtained, and agents found dye stains in Mr. Terrell’s car matching the dye explosive. Agents also found clothes in his home matching the clothes worn during the bank robberies as captured by security footage. The defendant was arrested at his Barnesville residence.

“I want to thank our local and federal law enforcement partners who worked quickly to identify and arrest a serial bank robber,” said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.  “The safety and well-being of our citizens is our highest priority, and we are committed to making sure people who commit violent crime and disrupt the peace are held accountable.”

The case was investigated by the Forsyth Police Department, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will R. Keyes is prosecuting the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.