Bridgeport, Alabama bank robbery suspect also sought in Kentucky robbery


Archie Lee Williams, held as a fugitive from justice in Marion County, Tenn., in connection with July 20 bank robbery in Bridgeport, Ala., and a July 16 check cashing business robbery on July 16. / Photo contributed by Marion County Sheriff's Office
Archie Lee Williams, held as a fugitive from justice in Marion County, Tenn., in connection with July 20 bank robbery in Bridgeport, Ala., and a July 16 check cashing business robbery on July 16. / Photo contributed by Marion County Sheriff's Office
photo Archie Lee Williams, held as a fugitive from justice in Marion County, Tenn., in connection with July 20 bank robbery in Bridgeport, Ala., and a July 16 check cashing business robbery on July 16. / Photo contributed by Marion County Sheriff's Office

One of possibly two suspects involved in a July 20 bank robbery in Bridgeport, Alabama, is in custody in Marion County, Tennessee, after he was apprehended Monday.

Archie Lee "Apache" Williams, 41, of Flint, Michigan, is being held on a "fugitive from justice" warrant issued by Alabama authorities. He's also being sought by Owensboro, Kentucky, police in connection with a July 16 check-cashing store robbery there, investigators said.

Williams was arrested Monday on a tip from Jackson County, Alabama, officials that he might be at a Kimball area convenience store, Marion County Sheriff Ronnie "Bo" Burnett said Wednesday.

Burnett said officers from his office, the Kimball Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI located Williams and arrested him on the warrant without incident. He also was charged with possession of schedule II drugs, Burnett said.

Jackson County Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen said the bank robbery in Bridgeport happened at the FNB Bank on County Road 277 last Friday.

"Friday morning a guy walks into the bank about 9:30 and at gunpoint robs the bank and jumps into a getaway car in the back believed to be occupied by another person or driven by another person," he said.

"They sped off. A little while later we located the vehicle that was wrecked in the wood line on County Road 206, kind of behind the bank in Bridgeport," he said.

Police found evidence at the scene, he said. Tracking dogs from Limestone Correctional Facility in Harvest, Alabama, tracked the suspects' path through the woods until losing the trail in a field of kudzu, Harnen said.

Authorities maintained a "loose perimeter" over the weekend, then began "following up leads that led up to Tennessee" on Monday, Harnen said.

Burnett said authorities converged on Williams at the Twice Daily convenience store on Main Street in Kimball, less than a mile from Interstate 24. The Bridgeport bank and the Kimball store are less than seven miles apart.

About 200 miles to the north in the Kentucky robbery, a man later identified as Williams entered the Cash Express store in a mostly commercial area of East Fourth Street, Owensboro Police Department spokesman Andrew Boggess said Wednesday. The man presented a gun and demanded money, leaving on foot, Boggess said.

Evidence collected during the investigation led to Williams' identity, he said.

Boggess said there was no second suspect or vehicle spotted in Owensboro, but he noted there were plenty of nearby parking lots where a getaway car and driver could have waited for Williams. He said Williams is charged in Kentucky with first-degree robbery, a class B felony, but that charge could be elevated to a class A felony with a far more serious sentence. Boggess said that would be determined later.

Harnen said the FNB robbery last week was the second time that branch has been robbed in about seven years.

Friday morning, FNB Bank officials said in a post on Facebook that "all employees are safe."

Bank officials were appreciative of the swift work by authorities.

"Thanks to the hard work of the Bridgeport Police Department and other law enforcement officers the suspect in the robbing of our Bridgeport branch was apprehended in Tennessee last night," officials stated in a post Tuesday. "We'd like to give our most sincere thanks to all the law enforcement departments who came together to make this possible and especially all of our FNB customers who have been so supportive both here on Facebook and in person."

Meanwhile, Williams faces a court hearing Friday in relation to his current charges in Marion County and his plans regarding extradition. Marion officials said Williams had not yet waived extradition or said he was going to fight it.

Harnen said he was unsure whether Alabama or Kentucky would get custody of Williams first.

Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton or at www.facebook.com/benbenton1.

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