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Bank bandit who started in Bryant gets 26 years |
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Wednesday, 20 May 2009 |
A Truman man who started a string of Arkansas bank robberies in Bryant was sentenced to a lengthy prison term, Saline County Prosecuting Attorney Ken Casady said Tuesday.
Kevin Concannon, 45, pled guilty to robbery and theft of property before Boone County Circuit Judge Gordon Webb for the three robberies, including he Union Bank at Arkansas 5 and 183.
Webb sentenced Concannon as a habitual offender and ordered him to serve 26 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
A man accused of being Concannon’s accomplice (get away driver) in the bank robberies, James Richard Grissom, 45, of Little Rock was also previously sentenced. According to Boone County deputy prosecuting attorney Wes Bradford, Grissom had a two day trail for charges of robbery and theft of property.
Bradford said Grissom had a jury trial on April 27-28 in Boone County Circuit Judge John Putman’s courtroom. Grissom was found to be a habitual offender, was convicted of the theft of property charge and sentenced to 12-years in the ADC. The jury declared a mistrial on the robbery charge, Bradford said.
On Aug. 5, 2008, Bryant police said Concannon walked into the Union Bank and handed a teller a note demanding money. The teller reportedly gave Concannon $4,289 in cash, but the money also contained a dye pack. The cash however did not have a location transmitter, authorities said. Police Chief Tony Coffman said Concannon reportedly did not use a weapon in the robbery.
Officers later found an exploded red dye pack inside a bundle of money a short distance from the bank near a wooden privacy fence
According to Bryant detectives, the FBI took over the investigation and identified Concannon from the bank surveillance video. They also recognized Concannon from his tattoos, including the name “Kim” written in cursive on his neck, authorities said.
On Aug. 21, 2008, Concannon alleged robbed a Community Bank on West Main Street in Jacksonville and six days later, authorities said Concannon robbed his third bank. Harrison police said Concannon entered a Harrison Walmart and again presented a note to a Arvest branch bank teller demanding money. The teller reportedly tried twice to take the note, but Concannon was able to retrieve it. He then fled the store and witnesses said they saw Concannon run behind the store and enter a wooded area.
A Walmart video surveillance video reportedly showed Concannon and Grissom arrive at the store moments before the robbery. Grissom reportedly entered the store and Concannon walked around the store and into the wooded are, possibly to scope out an escape route.
Both men then returned to the RV, but Concannon stayed as Grissom drove the vehicle away minutes before the robbery. Police believe Grissom drove the RV to a location north of the store and later picked up Concannon.
The arrest of Concannon and Grissom came on Aug. 30 after a citizen recognized the described RV at a gas station near War Eagle. State police reportedly arrested the pair.
“I would like to thank the Bryant police department for their outstanding work on this case,” Casady said. “Thanks to their effort, Concannon will be spending years behind bars where he belongs.”
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