Terry Tyrone Pollard Convicted in North Charleston Bank Robbery Staged with Garda Employee
In a surprising verdict, a 28-year-old man from Cedartown, Georgia, Terry Tyrone Pollard has been sentenced to over five years in federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit bank larceny and bank larceny in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Details of the Case
As per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the evidence presented at the trial showcased that Terry along with three others planned and executed a staged bank truck robbery which amounted to a $1.9-million theft in early January 2021 from a Bank of America ATM in North Charleston.
The Plan
According to the charges, a currently anonymous Garda employee onboarded Pollard and his accomplices to simulate a heist at gunpoint, with the intention to portray himself as the victim. Reports have suggested that they planned the staged robbery on Snapchat, a well-known multimedia messaging app popular among the youth.
Execution of the Heist
The group then traveled from Cedartown to North Charleston with the aim to execute their plan. They researched potential locations in the vicinity before making their move. The Garda employee parked the truck outside a Bank of America ATM where Pollard and his team simulated restraining him at gunpoint, consequently stealing $1.9 million in cash enclosed in trash bags, and fleeing back to their home state.
Arrest
Shortly after the “robbery,” authorities were alerted. The North Charleston Police Department (NCPD) was suspicious of the truck driver’s statements during the investigation and informed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of a potential inside job. The break in the case came from an unfortunate Snapchat video. A few hours following the staged heist, Pollard and his co-defendants posted a Snapchat video where Pollard is seen holding a large chunk of the stolen cash. This video lead to Pollard being apprehended by authorities.
Charges and Sentencing
In a follow-up from his apprehension, just days after his arrest, an audio recording unveiled that Pollard had called an associate from jail and had asked him to delete his phone records. The case ultimately went to trial, and, in March 2023, Terry Tyrone Pollard was found guilty of conspiracy to commit bank larceny and bank larceny. He was later sentenced to 63 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
