BENTONVILLE — Anthony Timothy Barnes is charged with robbing two Rogers banks, but authorities suspect Barnes is a serial bank robber responsible for eight unsolved crimes in northwest Arkansas.
Barnes, 31, of Rogers is charged with two counts of aggravated robbery, a class Y felony, and theft of property, a class B felony.
Barnes was arrested July 3 after a GPS tracking unit led Rogers police to his home. The unit was placed in a bag, along with money, after Barnes allegedly robbed the Bank of the Ozarks at 800 N. 47th St.
Police believe Barnes had earlier that day made an unsuccessful attempt to rob First Federal Bank at 1303 W. Hudson Road.
Barnes allegedly used a handgun in both crimes, according to court documents.
He is being held in the Benton County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bond.
The allegations of Barnes' possible involvement in other bank robberies were made Thursday during a hearing seeking a reduction in Barnes' bond.
Barnes' attorney, Drew Ledbetter, filed a motion seeking to reduce his client's bond to $50,000, while Deputy Prosecutor A.J. Anglin requested that Circuit Judge David Clinger increase Barnes' bond.
Rogers Police Department detective Larry Taylor testified that he believes Barneswas involved in eight other unsolved bank robberies: one in Rogers and the others in Washington County.
Taylor said evidence links Barnes to the crimes, and Rogers police are working with the FBI, along with other law-enforcement agencies, on the robberies in Springdale, Fayetteville and Tontitown.
The other robberies occurred between June 6, 2007, and May 7, 2009.
Taylor testified that the eight robberies are unique with the suspect's dress style and that he also wore funny hats. Police also recovered clothing from Barnes' home that matched the clothing the suspect wore in some of the robberies, Taylor said.
Barnes' physical characteristics also match those of the suspect in the other robberies. Police recovered shoes from Barnes' home that may match footprints found at the scene of a Springdale robbery.
The wife of the accused - Guadalupe Barnes - testified that she and her husband were married in February 2004. The couple have two daughters, and Guadalupe Barnes is currently pregnant with the couple's third child.
Guadalupe Barnes testified that she did not believe her husband would flee if his bond was lowered and he was released from jail.
She said her husband could live at her parents' home.
"He's a great dad," she said.
Her husband kept a job until he was laid off late last year, she testified.
When Anthony Barnes wasarrested at his home, he and his wife were preparing to leave on a trip to Los Angeles, Calif.
His wife testified that the two were going to visit friends and were planning to return to Arkansas.
Anglin also presented evidence that Barnes had been convicted in 2001 of two felony drug charges in Washington County and was sentenced to six years in prison. Barnes had been convicted in June 2007 of misdemeanor charges of fleeing, battery in the third degree and resisting arrest. Barnes also had six failures to appear in district courts.
Anglin asked the judge to increase Barnes' bond to $300,000. The deputy prosecutor cited Barnes' criminal history, the failures to appear and the fact that prosecutors have a strong case against Barnes as reasons to increase the bond. Anglin also told the court there is a possibility that other charges will be lodged against Barnes.
"They are not going to be able to link him to other crimes because he did not commit any other crimes," Ledbetter said.
Ledbetter asked the judge not to consider the allegations involving the unsolved crimes in whether to reduce Barnes' bond.
According to Ledbetter, his client was given two tickets to California for his birthday. The couple had return tickets, Ledbetter said.
Ledbetter requested that his client's bond be lowered to $50,000 and said that if released, Barnes would agreeto wear a GPS monitor and abide by any conditions set by the court.
After a short break, Clinger decided not to rule in favor of either side. Clinger decided to leave Barnes' bond at $200,000.
First Federal employees told police the robber, whom police identified as Barnes, brandished a "black automatic pistol" and demanded that employees let him into the cashier area, which is protected by bulletproof glass.
The employees said "no" and ducked behind the counter, leaving Barnes without a way to get to the money or employees.
An affidavit in the case claims that tellers at the Bank of the Ozarks, the second bank Barnes allegedly entered, placed a GPS tracking device and money into a bag.
According to the affidavit, dispatchers tracked the GPS unit from the bank at 800 N. 47th St. to the area of South 38th Street and Amour Drive. An officer went to that location, where he used a handheld tracking unit to pinpoint the device at 6000 S. 38th St., where police found Barnes.
After getting a search warrant, officers found a nylon bag, more than $2,500 in cash (matching the amount stolen from the Bank of the Ozarks), clothing matching witness descriptions, the GPS tracking unit and a black BB gun resembling the pistol that employees at both banks described.
An omnibus hearing in the case is slated for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 28.
News, Pages 2 on 08/28/2009