Cops nab bank robbers with help of GPS

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Police may not have known the suspects involved in a bank robbery Tuesday morning or the type of vehicle they were in. But they knew where the money was, thanks to a GPS tracking device tucked into the cash.

With the help of technology, police officers tracked down the men and the money.

Two men are in custody after allegedly robbing a Hiram bank and then heading toward Atlanta, Cpl. Brandon Gurley of the Paulding County Sheriff's office told the AJC. Vernon Keith McDougal, 23, and Jemal D. Coleman, 39, have been booked into the Paulding County jail.

Hiram police initially thought they were looking for a black SUV, based on witness reports, Gurley said. But the cash -- and the suspects -- were later found at the Windsor Square Townhouses in a gold Nissan, he said.

Two vehicles matching the description of the SUV were initially stopped, by those inside were released, Gurley said.

The suspects either switched vehicles or the witness reports were inaccurate, Gurley said. But with the GPS device, officers knew the location of the money, he said.

“That is what led us to the townhomes in Atlanta,” Gurley told WSB Radio.

Once the vehicle with the money was stationary, police zeroed in on the complex, Gurley said.

Paulding County and Atlanta officers assisted Hiram police with capturing the suspects. The investigation continues, police said.

A male suspect apparently walked into the Bank of North Georgia at 10:25 a.m. and handed a teller a note demanding money, Gurley said. The suspect did not have a weapon.

-- WSB Radio reporter Pete Combs contributed to this report