Dearl Lawton
A jury on Wednesday found Dearl Lawton, 58, guilty for robbing a bank at gunpoint.
After listening in on the three-day trial before Federal Court Judge Curtis Collier, the jury reached the verdict that Lawton was guilty of armed bank robbery; using and carrying a firearm in relation to the robbery; brandishing a firearm during the robbery; and unlawful possession of a firearm.
On Jan. 31, 2014, Lawton robbed First Volunteer Bank on Hixson Pike. Agents arrested the defendant after finding his DNA on a sweatshirt that had been ditched in a nearby dumpster after the holdup.
The bank teller held at gunpoint during the robbery testified Monday. She said a tall white male wearing dark clothing, a mask, and gloves walked in the bank around 5:05 p.m. on a Friday. He held a revolver and a khaki-colored bag and demanded money from her.
When an agent opened an evidence bag and held up a dark hooded sweatshirt, the teller identified it as the one the robber wore.
That sweatshirt, along with other articles of clothing found in the dumpster, had previously been sent to an FBI lab for an investigation. The lab extracted DNA from the clothing, revealing Lawton as the suspect.
On the day of the robbery the defendant left the bank with $2,641 in his bag, it was testified.
During the trial Wednesday, he sat between his lawyers, a troubled look on his face.
After the jury deliberated for a little over an hour it came to the conclusion Lawton was guilty on all counts.
Judge Collier scheduled Lawton’s sentencing for June 22 at 2 p.m.