Lamarlvin Watts Convicted in Wells Fargo Armed Robbery

Lamarlvin Arkeena Watts, 22, of Savannah, Georgia, was convicted Tuesday after a two-day federal trial on charges of armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The verdict, delivered January 11, 2017, before U.S. District Judge William T. Moore, Jr., capped a fast-moving investigation into a brazen daylight heist at the Wells Fargo branch on East Victory Drive.

On July 14, 2015, at approximately 10:10 a.m., Watts stormed into the bank wearing a camouflage bandana that concealed much of his face. Witnesses testified he kept his finger on the trigger of a semiautomatic pistol and threatened to shoot two tellers if they didn’t hand over cash. He fled with more than $2,300.00, but not before surveillance cameras captured his face — including distinctive tattoos on his throat and forehead.

Watts was arrested the following day. Evidence seized from his home and vehicle included the shoes and one disposable glove he wore during the robbery, several hundred dollars in cash, and over a dozen rounds of ammunition matching the firearm used in the robbery. Investigators also learned Watts paid a convicted felon hours after the heist to cover his tattoos — a desperate attempt to evade identification after law enforcement released footage to the public.

The FBI, along with the Southeast Georgia Violent Crimes Task Force, led the investigation with critical support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Division of Forensic Sciences. The Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department provided on-the-ground coordination and rapid response that helped crack the case within 24 hours.

Watts now faces up to 25 years in federal prison for the armed robbery, a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. He must also make full restitution to Wells Fargo. On the separate charge of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, he is subject to a mandatory minimum of seven additional years behind bars — time that must be served consecutively. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Savannah is the Hostess City of the South; not the Wild West,” said United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver. “This office will continue to aggressively prosecute violent offenders who endanger the community through their criminal misuse of firearms.” The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore S. Hertzberg and Tania D. Groover. For more information, contact First Assistant U.S. Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.