FORT SMITH -- Two men have been ordered to stand trial in federal court Dec. 17 in a bank robbery after which an observant bystander gave chase.
Daniel Giles and Romaris Smith pleaded innocent on a three-count indictment filed Oct. 17 that charged them with bank robbery, unlawfully possessing stolen bank money and taking the stolen money across state lines. U.S. Magistrate Mark Ford appointed attorneys to represent them and ordered the men to be detained until their trial.
The two men already were in Fort Smith custody, charged in Sebastian County Circuit Court with theft of more than $5,000 in the July 26 robbery of the Bank of the Ozarks at 5401 Rogers Ave. They were being held in the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bond each.
Circuit court records say one of the men reportedly approached two bank employees outside the bank and took two cash canisters, each containing about $10,000, that were being taken to replenish ATMs. The men jumped into a white Dodge Durango that belonged to Giles and drove off with the canisters, reports said.
When police arrived at the bank, one of the employees told an officer that she was on the phone with a man who had witnessed the robbery and was chasing the robbers.
The man told police he was an employee of the Randall Ford dealership across from the bank, saw the robbery, jumped into his car and followed the Durango to Spiro, Okla., the court records said. The man told police that he informed Spiro police and they took up the chase.
During the chase, both suspects at one point bailed out of the Durango and fled on foot, according to reports. Giles was arrested shortly after.
Smith was arrested hours later after a gas station employee reported that he had entered the gas station with a large bag of loose cash and began acting suspiciously, court documents said.
After having his rights read to him, the records said, Smith admitted to taking the cash canisters with Giles.
State Desk on 11/16/2018