A Hot Springs man arrested last year less than 30 minutes after robbing a local bank was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison Friday after a hearing in U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.
Henry Smith, 67, was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2017 on one count of bank robbery and pleaded guilty on March 5. Smith, who has a lengthy criminal history including prior convictions for bank robbery, was sentenced Friday to 12 years and seven months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, a news release said.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Nov. 8, 2017, around 2:45 p.m., Hot Springs police Detective Mark Fallis responded to Citizens Bank, 150 Airport Road, in reference to a robbery that had just occurred and made contact with two employees who stated an unknown black male, wearing a black ball cap, sunglasses, a ski mask and blue shirt had walked into the bank.
One employee told the man he would have to remove his hat and glasses, but instead he walked up to the other employee and put a small black drawstring bag on the counter in front of her and told her to put money in it. He also told her he had a gun and she needed to hurry.
The employee put an undisclosed amount of cash in the bag and the man fled on foot, last seen walking toward Walmart, 1601 Albert Pike.
Other officers were in the area and located a man matching the description, identified as Smith, behind the buildings at Hot Springs Plaza, 1609 Albert Pike, and took him into custody without incident. It was noted officers found the stolen cash and other items on Smith at the time of his arrest.
Smith, who listed a Rector Street address at the time of his arrest, was brought to the police department for questioning and admitted to robbing the bank. He pleaded not guilty to charges the next day in Garland County District Court and the case was eventually bound over to federal court. He had remained in custody on $100,000 bond.
The release notes the FBI assisted Hot Springs police in the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case. Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court.
Local on 10/16/2018