The United States Attorney's Office

Eastern District of Michigan

Craig S. Morford
United States Attorney
Eastern District of Michigan

Suite 2001
211 West Fort Street
Detroit, Michigan 48226-3277

For Immediate Release: Contact: Gina Balaya (313) 226-975

EVENT: Indictment Defendant: Andre Lavon Jones et al

January 9, 2008

GRAND JURY RETURNS 14-COUNT INDICTMENT AGAINST FIVE DEFENDANTS
Six Armed Bank Robberies Netting $472,387 Among Charges

A federal grand jury has returned a fourteen-count indictment against Andre Lavon Jones, 27, Jawan Martin, 27, Terez Deon Rivers, 33, Frederick Samuel Humes, Jr., 29, and Sparkle Eldridge, 23, all of Detroit, United States Attorney Stephen J. Murphy announced today.

Murphy was joined in the announcement by Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent-In-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit field office.

The indictment charges Jones, Martin, Rivers, and Humes with committing six bank robberies over a year-and-half period while armed with AK-47s, shotguns, and handguns :

! March 16, 2006 -- Chase Bank, 32203 Plymouth Rd., Livonia, stealing $157,728;

! January 2, 2007 -- LaSalle Bank, 24660 Southfield Rd., Southfield, stealing $116,170;

! March 16, 2007 -- Chase Bank, W. Warren Ave., Dearborn Heights, stealing $117,818;

! June 25, 2007 -- TCF Bank, 1811 Crooks Rd., Royal Oak, stealing $37,429;

! October 11, 2007 -- Fifth Third Bank, 3754 Rochester Rd., Troy, stealing $41,642;

! November 14, 2007 – Chase Bank, 33051 Schoenherr, Sterling Heights, stealing $1,600.

Jones, Martin, Rivers, and Humes are also each charged with six counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. A bank teller was shot during the November 14, 2007 Chase Bank robbery.

Jones is also charged with being a felon-in-possession of five firearms on December 11, 2007, including a Beretta 9 mm handgun, a Smith & Wesson .44 caliber revolver, an ISD assault-style rifle, an AK-47 assault rifle, and a sawed-off shotgun. Jones was sentenced to 1 to 20 years in prison on June 7, 2000 in 3 rd Circuit Court for delivery/manufacturing less than 50 grams of controlled substances. Jones was arrested in this case on December 11, 2007 after allegedly shooting and injuring a Detroit Police Department officer.

Eldridge, who is married to Jones, is charged with conspiring with the four men to commit the bank robberies.

United States Attorney Stephen J. Murphy said, “The charges today are serious: they address a long running spree of bank robberies that included the shooting of a police officer and a bank teller. Federal crimes that involve serious violence and any sort of shooting will jump to the top of our priority list. I commend the exemplary work of the Detroit Police Department and the FBI for the work they did in investigating this case, and I appreciate the work of AUSA Feller who saw the case through to indictment..”

Each of six counts of bank robbery is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The first firearm count is punishable by a mandatory sentence of 10 years imprisonment. Each of the five subsequent firearm counts is punishable by a mandatory sentence of 25 years imprisonment, each to be served consecutively to one another. Felon-in-possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Conspiracy is punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

An indictment is only a charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and it is the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leonid Feller and Mark Chasteen.