GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Kevin Delando Turner, 50, of Benton Harbor, was sentenced today to 180 months’ imprisonment and 3 years’ supervised release by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff for his role in a brazen bank robbery in Kalamazoo.
Turner, still on parole for a 2009 bank robbery in Kalamazoo, recruited and drove his nephew, Draper Turner, to the Old National Bank on March 25, 2019. Turner instructed Draper on how to rob the bank, while he waited in his car outside. Draper, armed with a threat, obtained $3,150 in cash from the teller.
A bystander witnessed the robbery and provided a description of the vehicle to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. An off-duty police lieutenant spotted the car and noted the license plate number, but lost the robbers in traffic.
Police investigation later led to Turner’s arrest in Benton Harbor, where he was found in possession of several thousand dollars in cash. Initially, Turner denied any involvement, but when confronted with witness testimony, he fabricated a story about being carjacked at gunpoint.
Draper Turner was separately arrested after his parole officer recognized him from bank surveillance footage. He confessed to the robbery and implicated his uncle, Kevin Turner. The FBI investigation revealed that Kevin Turner had bragged about robbing two other banks in Michigan and two in Indiana.
Using surveillance footage and cellular phone location techniques, the FBI determined Kevin Turner was responsible for four open robbery cases. The sentences imposed on Turner and his nephew reflect the serious nature of bank robberies, with Turner receiving a longer sentence due to his long history of crimes, leadership role, and late guilty plea.
The FBI, in partnership with law enforcement agencies, has successfully removed two violent offenders from the streets, making the community a safer place for all.
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Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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