CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charleston police have made an arrest in connection with a Tuesday afternoon bank robbery in South Hills.
Kerry Johnson, 52, was arraigned on the charge Wednesday for the alleged robbery at the City National Bank on Bridge Road. He allegedly fled the scene in a dark-colored Mazda Miata.
Police said Johnson was playing black jack at the Mardis Gras Casino, left the table, drove to the bank in South Hills and committed the robbery.
Lt. Steve Cooper, chief of detectives for Charleston Police, said Johnson then returned to the casino, sat back down at his spot at the blackjack table and was dealt back in the game with the money he allegedly stole.
“We found that money at the same blackjack table that he went back to after the bank robbery,” Cooper confirmed on Thursday’s 580 Live hosted by Charleston Mayor Danny Jones.
The robbery happened at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Investigators said the man entered the bank and handed over a note demanding money.
“There was a notepad that matched the type of paper that was used during the robbery,” Cooper said of some of the evidence they recovered from Johnson’s home.
“There were some couch cushions out of place. We looked underneath those and there were just fistfuls of large denomination currency shoved down inside the couch where he had been sleeping when we knocked on the door,” he said.
Additional charges could be filed against Johnson at a later date based on his actions after the alleged incident, Cooper said.
Johnson is being held at the South Central Regional Jail on a $50,000 bond. He could face up to 30 years behind bars.