BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted a Montgomery man for the armed robbery of a Tuscaloosa bank and indicted a Montgomery woman for assisting him after the robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Maley.

The indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges NATHAN H. JENKINS JR., 49, with armed bank robbery and with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The indictment charges TRACEY PADGETT, 47, as an accessory after the fact by offering Jenkins relief or assistance in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension.

“Protecting public places of commerce and accommodation is always foremost in the mind of law enforcement,” Vance said. “Our citizens need to feel safe in their daily comings and goings, no matter the circumstances. An uneasy economy is no excuse for the commission of bank robberies. Tough times will not weaken our enforcement posture, especially when dangerous weapons are involved,” she said.

According to the indictment, Jenkins entered the Bank of Tuscaloosa on North McFarland Circle on Oct. 7, brandished a pistol, and robbed the bank of more than $8,000. Padgett is charged in one count of the three-count indictment with assisting Jenkins after the robbery.

The maximum sentence for armed bank robbery is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum sentence for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is seven years in prison, consecutive to the robbery sentence, and a $250,000 fine. The maximum sentence for accessory after the fact is 10 years in prison and a $125,000 fine.

The FBI and the Tuscaloosa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terence M. O’Rourke is prosecuting it.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

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