Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested in Lawrenceville

Gwinnett County Courthouse

Lawrenceville, Ga. - Gwinnett County authorities have arrested a man who is believed to be the suspect in four different bank robberies in the past several months.

According to investigators, several different banks have been hit beginning in June. All of the incidents involved the suspect using a firearm to get away with the robbery.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will focus on the offense of armed robbery in Georgia.

Armed Robbery in Georgia

Armed Robbery in Georgia is defined in O.C.G.A. §16-8-41 as:

A person commits the offense of armed robbery when, with intent to commit theft, he or she takes property of another from the person or the immediate presence of another by use of an offensive weapon, or any replica, article, or device have the appearance of such weapon.

Armed robbery is classified as a felony in Georgia. The penalties for an armed robbery conviction are severe. A conviction of Armed Robbery carries a potential sentence of ten to twenty years in prison with the very minimum being ten years in prison with no early release. Prison terms for life are another common penalty for Armed Robbery. The most severe penalty in Georgia for Armed Robbery is the death penalty.

Courts have gone back and forth through the years as to what constitutes an offensive weapon as well as if replica or toys can be considered offensive weapons. After years of debating, it has been established that an offensive weapon includes not only weapons which are offensive per se, but also embraces other instrumentalities not normally considered to be offensive in and of themselves but which may be found by a jury likely to produce death or great bodily injury depending on the manner and means of their use.

Practice Note

It is important to hire representation if you have been arrested for a crime in the state of Georgia. It is not something that you can handle on your own. Call us now.