Local man charged in robbery of Wilson & Muir branch, two other banks

Sgt. Tom Roby holds a still image taken from security video of the truck driven by robbery suspect David W. Smith. Roby and Chief Rick McCubbin spoke to the media at a Thursday afternoon press conference.

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Thursday, April 23, 2015, 5 p.m. — A Bardstown man was charged Thursday afternoon in the robbery of three Bardstown banks — the latest being Thursday morning’s robbery of the Wilson & Muir Bank on Culpepper Street near Wal-Mart.

David W. Smith, 51, of Bardstown, is escorted into the Bardstown Police Department Thursday, April 23 after police located him at a home on McGowan Avenue. Smith and another person were questioned by police in connection with the robbery Thursday morning of the Wilson & Muir Bank branch on Culpepper. Click to enlarge.

David W. Smith, 51, was charged Thursday afternoon with first-degree robbery after he allegedly robbed the Wilson & Muir Bank branch at about 10:26 a.m.

Smith was apprehended by police at a home on McGowan Avenue at about 11:15 a.m. Smith and another individual not related to the robbery were detained and questioned by police prior to Smith’s arrest.

During questioning, Smith confessed to Thursday’s robbery, as well as the robbing the North Third Street and West John Rowan branches of Your Community Bank on March 13 and April 16 respectively.

McCubbin said investigators do not believe Smith was involved with the Dec. 12, 2014, robbery of the former First Federal Savings Bank branch on North Third Street. Investigators have a person of interest in that robbery, but are still developing evidence in the case, he said.

An officer waits as David W. Smith faces the drive-through window of the Culpepper Street Wilson & Muir Bank branch while bank employees attempt to identify him during the investigation of the bank’s robbery. Click to enlarge.

Police recovered all the money taken in Thursday’s robbery. Investigators believe the money from earlier robberies was spent. “We were just quick enough today to get the bank’s money back to them,” he said.

When asked about a possible motive for the robberies, McCubbin said they were drug-related.

“Desperate people do desperate things,” he said. “When you’re desperate and you need it, you’ll do anything you think you can get away with to get it — as he did.”

Earlier this week, McCubbin said he sent letters to local banks, asking them to not rely solely on their alarm companies to contact police in the event of a robbery.

“What we asked bank tellers to do is as soon as that suspect flees, lock yourself in the bank and immediately get on the phone and call us,” McCubbin. In the case of Thursday’s robbery, it alerted police about the robbery in a more timely manner.

“A lot of precious time can be wasted,” he said.

Capt. Tom Roby gives instructions to a wrecker driver on where to park the vehicle believed to have been driven Thursday by David W. Smith, the suspect charged with robbing the Wilson & Muir Bank branch near Wal-Mart. Click to enlarge.

McCubbin credited the bank’s employees for their quick action, and for Nelson County Dispatch for providing information to them as they were receiving it from the bank employees.

McCubbin said it was clear to investigators they were looking for the same person responsible for the previous robberies.

The key to locating the suspect was video from Wal-Mart’s security cameras that cover their parking lot, Bardstown Police Chief Rick McCubbin said during a press conference Thursday.

“We were able to backtrack that person’s steps from the car to the bank and when he exited the bank and fled,” he said.

Evidence gathered during Thursday’s bank robbery investigation is displayed on a table during a police department press conference includes bundles of cash, a zip-up hood, bandana, gloves and glasses. Click to enlarge.

With the security video, officers tracked Smith from the bank to a Ford Ranger pickup truck parked at Wal-Mart near Radio Shack. Smith got in the truck and drove away from the area, heading toward downtown Bardstown on Springfield Road.

Still video screen shots of the pickup truck were sent to officers and sheriff’s deputies’ telephones, and was critical in helping police locate the suspect’s truck, which was registered to a family member.

Smith faces a first-degree robbery charge even though he was not carrying a weapon during any of the three robberies. “If you indicate, threaten or use force in a robbery, its still robbery in the first-degree,” McCubbin said.

McCubbin said Smith could also face federal charges related to the robberies.

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