Bank robber sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison

An Augusta man has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to robbing two Augusta banks.

Ronnie Dean Brown, a/k/a “Man,” 28, of Augusta, was sentenced to 252 months in prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall after pleading guilty to two counts of Bank Robbery, and one count each of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison sentence, Brown must serve five years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Ronnie Brown is a violent, unrepentant serial criminal who needlessly threatened the lives of bank employees and customers,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “He’s now learned that in federal court, gun crime earns serious prison time – and our community is safer as a result.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Brown carried an AR-15-style rifle on Dec. 30, 2017, when he threatened a teller at the Fifth Third Bank at 2756 Peach Orchard Road in Augusta and received cash before fleeing in an SUV. Then, on Jan. 16, 2018, Brown and Trivar Marquette Scriven, 35, of Augusta, wielded pistols to rob the Fifth Third Bank at 3007 Pine Needle Road in Augusta before driving away in a sedan.

After the second robbery, a customer who spotted the men leaving the bank followed their vehicle and called 911. Richmond County Sheriff’s Deputies later located the empty vehicle and found the firearms used in the robbery, along with information linked to Scriven.

Scriven was arrested Feb. 1, 2018 in Massachusetts, and Brown was arrested Feb. 14, 2018 in Atlanta. Scriven previously was sentenced to 106 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Bank Robbery, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

A related defendant in the case, Bennelle Marquette Evans, 34, of Augusta, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to Misprision of a Felony for having knowledge of the robberies after the fact.

“Carrying weapons into peaceful places of business and terrorizing hard-working citizens is something the FBI and our law enforcement partners will make every effort to prosecute and punish,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “More than 20 years in prison should be a teaching moment for Brown, and some sense of comfort for the victims he terrorized.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro V. Pascual IV.