Dannie Simon Parker Jr. was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Monday for the 2017 Julian R. Allsbrook Highway PNC bank heist.
United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. said in a statement this morning Parker received the statutory maximum sentence for the crime.
United States District Court Judge James C. Dever III sentenced Parker, 49, in Raleigh.
On December 28, 2017, Parker, entered PNC at 1180 Julian R. Allsbrook Highway wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, brown boots, and sunglasses.
He approached the bank teller supervisor and presented a note demanding money in certain denominations and instructing, “no funny business.”
The supervisor walked with the defendant to the teller window and provided him with the money as instructed. The defendant told the supervisor repeatedly to “stay calm.” The defendant could be seen clearly on bank surveillance footage.
While handing cash over to the defendant, the supervisor triggered a silent bank alarm. She also gave the defendant a set of bait bills, a stack of cash that included a GPS tracker hidden inside. The defendant then fled the bank.
Using the GPS tracking data, the Roanoke Rapids Police Department encountered the defendant on Interstate 95. In his possession was the cash from the robbery, along with the clothes worn during the robbery, and the demand note presented. The defendant was arrested on scene.
Higdon said in the statement, Parker, who was unarmed, stole $1,975 from the bank before fleeing.
After a two-day jury trial in April, Parker was found guilty of bank robbery.
Parker has two prior convictions for federal bank robbery, and was on federal supervised release at the time of the robbery.
Higdon said the case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Roanoke Rapids Police Department, and the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation of this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Donald R. Pender and Melissa B. Kessler handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
