Bethune Bank Heist: Wilson & Jones Face Decades Behind Bars

COLUMBIA, SC – Two Kershaw County men are staring down the barrel of serious federal time after admitting to the June 23, 2015, armed robbery of Sandhills Bank in Bethune, South Carolina. Yancey Kevon Wilson, 23, and Randy Jones, Jr., 23, both entered guilty pleas in federal court this week, bringing a close – though not a merciful one – to the investigation.

According to court documents, Wilson, brandishing a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun, strong-armed a bank employee into unlocking the bank before demanding cash. The situation escalated when Wilson fired the weapon twice outside the bank as he fled. Witnesses spotted a dark-colored vehicle with paper tags – driven by Jones – picking up Wilson and making a quick escape. It was a sloppy getaway, and it didn’t take long for law enforcement to catch up.

The Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department, Bethune Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the FBI quickly zeroed in on Jones and Wilson. Just two days after the robbery, deputies located the pair, along with a vehicle matching the description, at a Lugoff carwash. A search revealed discarded clothing matching the robber’s attire and the empty bank bag, tossed aside on a roadside. Forensic evidence sealed the deal: Wilson’s DNA was found on the hoodie, and the .40 caliber shell casings matched a firearm Jones purchased in February 2015. Even more damning? Text messages revealed a pre-planned conspiracy to hit the bank.

This wasn’t Wilson’s first rodeo with the law. He’s already a convicted felon, prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions for strong-arm robbery and first-degree assault and battery. Jones played the role of accomplice, aiding and abetting the armed robbery and the use of a firearm. The evidence paints a clear picture: a calculated crime with devastating potential consequences.

Wilson faces a potential twenty-five-year prison sentence, along with a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release, for the armed bank robbery charge. He’s also looking at a maximum of ten years and another $250,000 fine for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jones is facing up to five years and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge. But the real kicker? Both men are subject to a mandatory minimum of ten years, and potentially life in prison, for the firearm charge – a sentence that will run consecutively to any other penalties imposed. Both are also ordered to make full restitution to Sandhills Bank.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office led the prosecution. Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten will determine the final sentences after reviewing pre-sentence reports. This case serves as a stark reminder: armed robbery isn’t a game, and those who choose to play it will pay a heavy price. Contact Stacey Haynes at (803) 929-3000 for further information.