The suspect in the Summit Bank (1114 Hwy 35 N.) that occurred on 7/1/14 has been apprehended. The suspect, identified as Richard Swicegood (37 YOA) of Texas, was caught on a traffic stop by Arkansas State Police near Forrest City.
Detectives with the Benton Police Department, working in conjunction with agents from the FBI, obtained information during the course of their investigation into the robbery that Swicegood was driving a red Ford Mustang with Texas license plates. This and other information was disseminated to law enforcement agencies statewide in an attempt to locate him.
Diligent AR State Troopers near Forrest City located the vehicle on I-40 between Palestine and Forrest City. After being arrested by state police, our detectives and FBI agents from the Little Rock field office responded to take custody of Swicegood.
Swicegood was then transported to the Benton Police Department for further investigation into the incident. Information and evidence that was obtained links Swicegood to the robbery on 7/1/14, and also to robberies that took place at the same bank in 2009 and 2011.
Swicegood is charged with 11 counts of Aggravated Robbery, 3 counts of Theft of Property, and 1 count of Unauthorized Use of Another Person’s Property to Facilitate a Crime. This is an on-going investigation and other charges could be forthcoming in the future.
The Little Rock FBI Special Agent in Charge David T. Resch said, "We are proud of the hard work our partners at Benton PD have put toward this case and we continue to work closely with them. Bank robbery is not only a theft, it is a crime of violence with people and communities being victims. We will continue to work with our partners to bring these violent criminals to justice." The Benton Police Department would like to thank the FBI, the Arkansas State Police, and Arkansas Fusion Center for their help and assistance in making this arrest possible.
Any suspects listed are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Original Release from 7/1/14:
On 7/1/14, at approximately 9:40 AM, officers with the Benton Police Department responded to Summit Bank (1114 Hwy 35 N.) on report of a robbery. Upon officers arrival it was determined that an actual robbery had occurred and the suspect had fled the scene.
The suspect entered the bank and then demanded money after displaying a pistol towards a clerk. After obtaining an undisclosed amount of money, the suspect then fled the bank on foot. The suspect was a white male who was described as being approximately 5’ 10” tall and a grey ‘Affliction’ style t-shirt.
Detectives are diligently working the case, but anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Benton Police Department at 501-778-1171 or 501-315-TIPS. Individuals also may send an anonymous crime tip about this incident to CRIMES (274637) with the keyword BNPD in the body of the text or go to www.crimereports.com to leave a tip.
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