Raleigh Man Convicted of Roanoke Rapids Bank Robbery

RALEIGH - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today, DANNIE SIMON PARKER, JR., 48, of Raleigh, North Carolina was convicted in federal court following a two-day trial before United States District Judge James C. Dever, III.  The jury found PARKER guilty of Bank Robbery.

On December 28, 2017, PARKER, entered the PNC Bank in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina.  Utilizing a handwritten demand note, PARKER, who was unarmed, stole $1,975 from the bank before fleeing.  He was caught a short time later on I-95 South, after police blocked traffic in order to apprehend him.  In the passenger seat of the car PARKER was driving were the funds from the robbery, as well as the demand note, and various other incriminating items.  PARKER has two prior convictions for federal bank robbery, and was on federal supervised release at the time of the robbery.

PARKER faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release, along with a fine of up to $250,000.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Since 2017 the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

In support of PSN, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has implemented the Take Back North Carolina Initiative.  This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Roanoke Rapids Police Department, and the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorneys Donald R. Pender and Melissa B. Kessler handled the prosecution of this case for the government.