St. Petersburg Man Charged with Bank Robbery and Drug Possession

A man was charged with the robbery of a St. Petersburg bank, as well as possession of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia, according to police. The police claim that the man gave a full confession, and that the act was motivated by the need to pay off a drug debt.

Around 9:20 a.m., police say that the man entered a St. Petersburg Bank of America location to use the ATM. When there was no money in his account, the man then approached a bank teller to inquire as to why the account was empty. Police claim that the man then passed a note to the teller, stating that she give him $1,000 and not to alert any other employees or raise an alarm. There were no weapons seen or implied by the man’s actions. The teller allegedly gave the man the money, and he exited the location in a car driven by another man.

The man was found exiting a cab that afternoon at a local motel, after police were notified of the location by the cab driver. Police claim that the man made a full admission and that he told police the money was used to pay off a drug-related debt. The identity of the person whom the suspect paid the debt to is unknown. The man is being held at the Pinellas County Jail. Bail is set at $12,150.

A drug possession charge can be devastating to a person’s life and freedom, especially if it is not properly defended. An experienced and competent criminal defense attorney may be able to help reduce a felony drug charge through plea bargaining or an in-court defense.

Source: The Tampa Tribune, “Police arrest suspect in St. Pete bank robbery”, August 12, 2013

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