Mississippi man pleads guilty to bank robbery in his hometown

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A man faces up to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to robbing a bank in his hometown in Mississippi.

Curtis Lee Williams, 21, robbed the BankPlus branch in Durant on July 7, 2022, while wearing sunglasses, a wig, and no shoes, according to court documents and statements made in court during his plea hearing Thursday.

Within hours of the robbery, a $50 bait bill from the bank was used to buy three firearms from a pawn shop in Kosciusko, about 18 miles (29 kilometers) east of Durant, U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Jermicha Fomby, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Jackson office, said in a news release. Williams was arrested later that day after a traffic stop in Durant, they said.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 29.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Durant Police Department.

Durant has a population of about 2,145 and is about 63 miles (101 kilometers) north of Jackson.