Seven people have been sentenced for their roles in the armed robbery of a Wells Fargo bank in Atlanta more than two years ago.
The group stole about $22,000 in hitting the bank in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood on Feb. 27, 2015.
After robbers "stormed the bank, pointed loaded firearms directly at bank employees and customers (and) threatened to kill them," they led officers on a high-speed chase at speeds over 170 miles per hour, according to a release Friday from the Department of Justice.
Bruce Brown, Kayode Philip Adeleye and Ryan Vincent Hill committed the robbery, while Xavier Cornelius Shields, Connie Cristobul Montoya and Joe Francisco Montoya assisted by driving switch cars and acting as lookouts. Paris Lashay Paggett concealed evidence after the fact.
The group was led by Hill and Adeleye, the news release said.
The robbers evaded officers on the day of the crime, but most of the stolen money and some evidence was recovered at a residence in Ellenwood, Georgia shortly after the robbery.
FBI agents arrested most of the most of the crew after raiding a Fairburn home in April 2015.
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Seven of the eight defendants pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial, and the sentences were as follows:
- Hill, 28, of Atlanta, was sentenced on May 9, to 17 years and one month in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
- Adeleye, 34, of McDonough, was sentenced on March 28, to 16 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
- Brown, 27, of East Point, was sentenced on May 10, to 11 years and two months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
- Shields, 24, of Decatur, was sentenced on March 24, to six years and 11 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
- Connie Montoya, 39, of Mableton, was sentenced on March 30, 2016, to six years and six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
- Joe Montoya, 36, of Mableton, was sentenced on November 12, 2015, to about seven months in prison, followed by 10 months of supervised release.
- Paggett, 26, of College Park, was sentenced on May 10, to three years of probation.
Tekevious Nicole Brandon had been arrested and charged with aiding at least one member of the group, but her charges were dismissed in December 2016 after completing a pretrial diversion agreement.
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