HARRISBURG MAN SENTENCED FOR ROBBING OLD NATIONAL BANK

U.S. District Court — Shawn Thomas Gregory, 39, of Harrisburg, Illinois, was sentenced on December 8, 2014, in United States District Court in East St. Louis to a term of 141 months in federal prison for his role in robbing the Harrisburg branch facility of Old National Bank (“ONB”), Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. Gregory pled guilty on September 17th to a four-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit bank robbery, aiding and abetting a bank robbery, aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence introduced in support of Gregory’s guilty plea and sentence showed that Gregory recruited his cousin, codefendant Casey Allan Heflin of Boaz, Kentucky, to assist him in robbing ONB on October 17, 2013. As shown by the bank’s video surveillance system, at approximately 9:09 a.m. on that date, Heflin entered the ONB facility with a loaded .45 caliber/.410 gauge handgun which had been provided to him by Gregory the prior evening. Heflin pointed the firearm at a teller and demanded money. Gregory waited in the parking lot to act as the get-away driver. After obtaining $4197 from the teller, Heflin and Gregory fled Harrisburg. They later divided the money from the robbery and split up. Gregory was arrested later that day in Harrisburg and Heflin was arrested the following day in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

In addition to the near twelve year prison term, Gregory was ordered to pay $400 in special assessments and $4197 in restitution to ONB. Gregory was placed on a 3 year term of supervised release to follow his incarceration.

Heflin also pled guilty to robbing ONB and was previously sentenced to a term of 100 months in prison and also ordered to pay $4197 in restitution.