Accused Bluffton bank robbers uncovered
Two men charged in connection with recent bank robberies in Bluffton were apprehended Tuesday while trying to hide under the covers in their Georgia motel room, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.
James Arthur Gable of Bluffton and John Bennett of Hilton Head Island were arrested in Pooler, Ga., where the U.S. Marshals Service located them, according to a news release.
No stolen cash has been recovered, according to Lt. Mike Riley of the Sheriff's Office.
Gable, 41, is accused of robbing the SunTrust Bank on Westbury Park Drive on Friday, and the TD Bank on U.S. 278 on July 14, according to the Sheriff's Office, which is the lead agency in the TD Bank crime.
In both holdups, the suspect approached a teller and demanded money without showing a weapon.
Gable was charged with theft and entering a bank with intent to steal.
Bennett, 44, was charged with being an accessory after the fact in connection with the SunTrust robbery, according to Maj. Joseph Manning of the Bluffton Police Department, the lead agency in that incident. Manning said he was unsure of Bennett's role.
Using information from tips and witnesses, law enforcement identified the suspects Saturday.
The Marshals Service tracked them to the Pooler motel, though Manning and Riley said it's unclear what led authorities there. The S.C. Law Enforcement Division and FBI also helped with the search.
Riley said deputies are not searching for any other suspects, but said the Sheriff's Office is unsure whether Gable acted alone July 14.
The Sheriff's Office is also in contact with police in Glynn County, Ga., who are seeking a suspect in the July 21 robbery of an Ameris Bank there. Investigators said the description of the suspect was similar to that of the TD Bank robber, and the incidents might be connected. Riley said he did not know whether Glynn County officers planned to charge Gable.
Additional information was not available late Tuesday from a Glynn County Police Department commander.
Gable and Bennett remained in jail Tuesday in Chatham County, Ga., awaiting extradition to Beaufort County.
Investigations into both robberies continue.
Suspects remain at large in four other recent bank robberies: two on Hilton Head Island on July 1 and Aug. 19, and two on Lady's Island on June 24 and Aug. 5.
Follow reporter Rebecca Lurye on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Rebecca.
Related content:
- Robbers strike Bluffton SunTrust Friday; sixth bank heist this summer , August 22, 2014
- Hilton Head bank robbed by man with bandage over eye , August 19, 2014
- Search continues for 2 men who robbed Lady's Island bank , August 5, 2014
This story was originally published August 26, 2014 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Accused Bluffton bank robbers uncovered."