A Coffee County grand jury will hear the case of an Enterprise man accused of two bank robberies after District Judge Paul Sherling waived it to them Thursday.
Sherling heard testimony from Enterprise Police investigator Anthony Phillips, who said 23-year-old Benjamin Michael Smith developed as a suspect in the robbery of CB&T December 5 after former coworkers identified him through surveillance video, photos and a vehicle description.
A neighbor across the street from where Smith lived also positively identified the vehicle used in the robbery as Smith’s, Phillips added.
According to an interview with a bank teller, Phillips said Smith walked into the bank that morning wearing a motorcycle helmet. He struggled with getting the helmet off until he was close to approaching the teller.
The teller told Phillips that when Smith pulled off his helmet, it moved a hooded sweatshirt he was wearing back far enough to reveal half of his hair.
Smith was wearing what was called a “surgical mask,” and told the teller to “empty the drawer out very quickly,” Phillips said. The teller said Smith put his hand in the jacket and “flashed” something that looked metallic and shiny.
Fearing it was a gun, she emptied the drawer of approximately $8,000, Phillips said.
Smith’s attorney, Charles Fleming, asked if police ever identified whether Smith had a weapon or not, to which Phillips answered that Smith said he did not have a weapon during the robbery.
When he was arrested three days after the robbery, Smith admitted to the robbery, police said. After the robbery, he attempted to paint his vehicle, which was silver at the time, another color.
Smith also admitted to a robbery attempt at Citizens Bank on Rucker Boulevard in February 2010 during the same interview, Phillips said.
After hearing the evidence, Sherling forwarded the cases to the grand jury for consideration of indictments.
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