INDIANAPOLIS — Three men have been sentenced to federal prison after a November 2021 armored truck heist in Kokomo.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, 43-year-old Keith Martin, 31-year-old Edwin Sims and 36-year-old James Alexander all pleaded guilty to a “coordinated bank theft of $204,918.” Officials said Sims also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On the afternoon of Nov. 16, 2021, officers with the Kokomo Police Department responded to a bank near West Jefferson Street after a reported robbery involving an armored truck. Officials said while an employee went into the bank to service the ATM, Sims entered the back of the truck, took the driver’s firearm and cell phone and stole $204,918 in cash from the armored truck. The driver of the armored truck was identified as Martin. Sims then left the scene in a red Cadillac driven by Alexander.
“When Sims entered the truck, Martin immediately leaned to the left, making it simple to remove his firearm,” the release said. “Martin handed his cell phone and firearm to Sims, without any coercion. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the cell phone records of Martin and discovered that Martin had made several calls with James Alexander prior to the robbery.”
Alexander was arrested in November 2021 on an outstanding warrant for criminal recklessness. The release said that during an interview, Alexander said the trio met at a hotel to split the money and give Martin his cell phone back.
In December, Martin and Sims were both arrested. During the Martin arrest, agents recovered more than $32,000 in cash as well as a Glock 19 from the vehicle. An additional $35,387 was found inside the red Cadillac used in the incident. When Sims was arrested, they found nearly 70 grams of cocaine “next to Sims at the time of his arrest.”
Martin was sentenced to seven months in prison in July, according to the release. Sims was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in March 2023 and Alexander was sentenced to 27 months in prison in August. All three individuals were ordered to pay $135,792.85 in restitution and sentenced to probation after their respective prison sentences.
“This brazen conspiracy was quickly unraveled by the outstanding investigative efforts of the FBI, Kokomo Police, and DEA,” U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers said in the release. “Federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies will continue to prioritize working with our local partners to address violent crime in our communities. The convictions and sentences in this case demonstrate that that these serious crimes carry serious consequences.”
