LINEVILLE MAN CHARGED IN WACHOVIA BANK ROBBERY

BIRMINGHAM, AL - JEFFERY O’NEAL FINCHER, 51, of Lineville, Alabama, has been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with the November 30, 2006, robbery of the Wachovia Bank on Highway 9 in Lineville, Alabama. FINCHER was apprehended shortly after the robbery and the money taken in the robbery was recovered.

“We need the public to be involved in helping protect their communities, and good tips plus good police work are responsible for Fincher’s quick arrest,” states U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin. “Bank robberies are fast tracked for the quickest prosecution possible by this office”.

The maximum penalty for bank robbery is 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

“I want to thank the citizens of Lineville for their tips which helped lead to Mr. Fincher’s quick arrest,” states Carmen Adams, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Law enforcement simply could not do their job without the helpful assistance of citizens.”

Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the Lineville Police Department investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Michael W. Whisonant is prosecuting this matter on behalf of the U.S. Government.

Members of the public are reminded that an 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.