CHADRON
- A person arrested in Oregon for bank robbery is being called
a person of interest in the Chadron Bank of the West robbery.
In a press release from the Chadron Police Department,
Chadron Police Chief Jerry Crews said that the Chadron robbery
is still under investigation by the CPD, the Nebraska State Patrol
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
He noted that the suspect in the Oregon robbery has similar characteristics
to the suspect who robbed Bank of the West, but authorities are
uncertain at this time if it is the same person.
According to KQEN out of Roseburg, Oregon, off-duty Medford police
detective Ken Dickerson happened to stop in Canyonville for lunch
and spotted the suspects' van in the fast food parking lot.
The Mail Tribune said that Dickerson parked next to the Dodge
Conversion Van and then realized that it could be the van wanted
in connection to the recent bank robbery. The van seen on video
has a white top, dark bottom and a striped decal on the side.
KATU out of Portland said that Dickerson followed the vehicle,
but lost it. He had notified dispatch, who had relayed the description
of the distinctly marked van to area law enforcement.
Oregon State Trooper Kevin VanAtta saw the van minutes after Dickerson
lost sight of it and stopped it at an RV park in Myrtle Creek.
Forty-eight-year-old James Leroy Kearney and 57-year-old Jaquelin
Marie Salas of Sioux Falls, S.D., were arrested without incident.
They were wanted for bank robbery in Medford on Jan. 12 and another
in Red Bluff, Calif.
FBI Spokeswomen Beth Anne Steele in Portland said that the FBI
is looking into whether the pair may be connected to other unsolved
robberies throughout the west.
In the Medford robbery the robber wearing what the Mail Tribune
called Kearney's signature disguise - a red cap and fake mustache
- approached the teller, showed her a gun and said that it was
real, before demanding cash and fleeing on foot.
During the Chadron robbery, on Nov. 29, a man told the teller
he had a gun and then demanded money. After getting $14,994 from
the teller, he left the bank and was last seen walking north on
Chadron Avenue.
The man was identified as being a white male in his 30s, five-foot-seven
to five-foot-nine, 125 to 150 pounds, with long, reddish-brown
hair and no facial hair. He was wearing round glasses with dark
metal frames, a red jacket, tan pants, white stretch gloves, and
a red stocking cap.
Red Bluff Daily News said Kearney and Salas have been indicted
for the January 18th bank robbery in Red Bluffs by the United
States Attorney in Sacramento.
Kearney has been charged with armed bank robbery and bradishing
a firearm during the robbery. Salas has been charged with accessory
after the fact.
The maximum penalty under federal law for armed robbery is 25
years and a fine of $250,000. Brandishing a firearm during a bank
robbery carries an additional five years in prison.
The maximum penalty for being an accessory after the fact is 12.5
years in prison and a fine of $125,000.
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Dawes County Sheriff Photos
 The Chadron Volunteer Fire Department had their Annual Open House Sunday Oct 9th. They invited emergency responders and safety oganizations to set up boothes to inform the public about a variety of things. Sheriff Karl Dailey speaks with Chadron Firefighters and the general public about the Sheriff's Office and some of the tools they use in their work. More Photo Galleries
Dawes County Sheriff Photos 2005 CVFD Open House
Sheriff's Relief Fund for Hurricane Katrina
Jailbird Photos
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