Tennesse Man Convicted of Asheville Bank Robbery

Asheville -- January 14, 2024: Paul Gordon Day, 36, of Brentwood, Tennessee, was found guilty by a federal jury for the armed burglary of a bank in Asheville, according to the statement made by Dena J. King, the United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

In addition to U.S. Attorney King, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina and Interim Chief Michael Lamb of the Asheville Police Department participate in the announcement made Wednesday.

Based on court documents, trial evidence, and witness statements, Day entered the PNC Bank branch at 8 O'Henry Avenue, which is situated opposite the federal courthouse in Asheville, on November 9, 2022, at approximately 4:20 p.m. Day approached the teller counter upon entering the bank, brandished a firearm, and demanded cash from the attendants. Trial testimony indicates that the clerks acquiesced and transferred the cash to Day. Day was not informed that the clerks had inadvertently concealed a GPS tracking device within the currency. Day subsequently rode away on a bicycle.

Law enforcement tracked the GPS device and determined it was inside a vehicle traveling in the direction of Weaverville, North Carolina, on I-26, according to trial testimony. Day was apprehended by law enforcement following a traffic halt of the vehicle in which he was the only occupant and driver. The firearm, the stolen cash and GPS tracking device, a bicycle, and numerous articles of apparel that Day was wearing during the robbery were all recovered from the vehicle following a search by law enforcement. 

Today, the jury convicted Day of bank robbery using a dangerous weapon, which carries a maximum statutory sentence of 25 years in prison, and possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a minimum sentence of seven years in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed. Day will remain in federal custody. A sentencing date has not been set.

Press Release United States Western District of North Carolina: 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI, the Asheville Police Department, and the Weaverville Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

WNCTimes 

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