ALBERTVILLE BANK ROBBERS INDICTED IN FEDERAL COURT

BIRMINGHAM, AL - United States Attorney Alice H. Martin of the Northern District of Alabama and Carmen S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation announced today that ERIC DANIELS, ARTHUR MELSON, and ALANNA PARTEE have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit an armed bank robbery, armed bank robbery, and being convicted felons in possession of a firearm.

DANIELS, 28, of Gadsden, MELSON, 35, of Gadsden, and PARTEE, 21, of Attalla, were charged in a five count indictment filed today at U. S. District Court in Birmingham.

Count 1 of the indictment charges all three defendants in a conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery. The maximum sentence for Count 1 is five (5) years imprisonment.
Count 2 of the indictment charges DANIELS and MELSON with the actual armed robbery of the Southern Bank in Albertville on July 22, 2008. The maximum sentence for Count 2 is twenty-five (25) years imprisonment.

Count 3 of the indictment charges DANIELS and MELSON with brandishing a firearm during the commission of the bank robbery. The minimum sentence for Count 3 is seven (7) years imprisonment that must be run consecutive to any other sentence in this case. The maximum sentence for Count 3 is Life.

Counts 4 and 5 charge DANIELS and MELSON, respectively, for being convicted felons in possession of a firearm. The maximum sentence for Counts 4 and 5 is ten (10) years imprisonment.

"This case is a continuation of a joint federal/state investigation into a series of armed bank robberies in the Eastern Alabama area," stated U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin.
This case is another example of the outstanding work of the Northeastern Alabama Safe Streets Task Force. It is only through the concerted efforts of all of our law enforcement partners that these matters can be brought to justice," stated Carmen S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"W are extremely satisfied to have had these men put in jail so quickly. Everyone seemed to be in the right place at the right time to make that happen,"stated Albertville Police Chief Benny Womack.

Officers with the Albertville and Gadsden Police Departments as well as special agents of the FBI investigated Assistant United States Attorney L. James Weil, Jr. Is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Members of the public are reminded that the 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.