THE NEWS DESK
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Bank robber gets five years
BY KEITH EPPS
A man who was arrested within 20 minutes after he robbed a Spotsylvania County bank earlier this year was ordered Monday to serve five years in prison.
Justin R. McKain, 34, of Boyertown, Pa., pleaded guilty to robbery in Spotsylvania Circuit Court.
As part of a plea agreement, he was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison with all but five years suspended.
Charges of burglary of a bank while armed and using a firearm in the commission of a felony were dropped.
According to the evidence, McKain approached a teller in the BB&T at 4630 Mine Road the morning of Feb. 23 with one hand concealed in a green canvas bank bag.
He handed teller Kimberly Hamlin a note saying “This is a robbery, give me the money.”
The teller, who thought there was a pistol in the robber’s concealed hand, handed McKain about $3,900.
McKain then left the bank. The robbery was captured on the bank’s surveillance video.
Spotsylvania Detective Wayne Weaver happened to be driving near the BB&T when the robbery was broadcast over the police radio.
The plea agreement states that Weaver saw a man matching the robber’s description in a cab at the Motel 6 parking lot, which is about 1,000 feet from the bank.
Weaver stopped the cab at gunpoint and ordered McKain onto the ground. He recovered most of the stolen money and a black pellet pistol.
The plea agreement states that McKain’s prior criminal record, which consists of only one misdemeanor arrest, was a factor in his sentence.
He was represented by attorney Sarah Abernathy.
Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
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