Three men arrested earlier this year in what authorities said was a bank-robbery ring based in Pine Bluff have been indicted on federal conspiracy charges.
The indictment, filed Sept. 11 in U.S. District Court and unsealed Friday, charges Cameron Arnold, Keyontae Johnson and Devonta Piggee each with conspiracy to commit a bank robbery and aiding and abetting a bank robbery.
An investigation by the FBI and several local law enforcement agencies in central Arkansas linked the men to two robberies in Little Rock and one in Benton.
Johnson, 18, was arrested May 15 in the armed robbery of a Bank of the Ozarks branch in Benton the same day. Johnson was a suspect in the armed robbery of a US Bank branch in Little Rock two days earlier.
He was charged with aggravated robbery and theft of property.
Arnold, 29, of Pine Bluff planned Johnson's robberies and provided him with guns, instructions and a vehicle, police said.
Investigators said Arnold also coordinated a heist with Piggee in Little Rock. Piggee is accused of robbing an Iberia Bank branch at 4900 W. Markham St. on March 24. He was arrested in Little Rock three days later when an officer pulled over a vehicle for speeding and found Piggee in the backseat.
Piggee, 19, of White Hall was also charged with aggravated robbery and theft of property.
Police reported that Arnold not only organized the heists but also observed them as they happened. The men stole a total of $16,690 from the three banks, according to the indictment. No injuries were reported in the robberies.
Each of the men was being held for federal authorities at the Pulaski County jail late Friday.
Metro on 09/20/2014