VALDOSTA — Four defendants have been sentenced for the Aug. 25, 2000, robbery at Commercial Banking Co. in Remerton, according to a prepared statement by Maxwell Wood, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.

Sentenced were Anthony Antwain Ceasar, 20, 812 Poplar St., Valdosta; Travis Learthur Johnson, 21, Port Wentworth; and Denitia Isha Clark, 22, and Trista Nichole Montgomery, 22, both of 1200 W. Alden Ave., Valdosta.

Ceasar, Johnson and Clark entered guilty pleas Jun. 13, 2001, before U.S. District Court Judge Wilbur D. Owens Jr. to armed bank robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of violence.

Montgomery entered a guilty plea to accessory after the fact. In addition, she pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence for her part in the March 15, 2001, robbery of First State Bank and Trust Co., 1201 S. Patterson St., Valdosta.

Ceasar also pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery in connection with the First State Bank robbery.

According to the plea agreements, Clark drove Ceasar, Johnson and a third defendant to Commercial Banking Co. in Remerton on Aug. 25, 2000. Johnson and the other defendant entered the bank carrying firearms, and Ceasar carried mace spray. The trio took $22,641 from a teller and fled the bank in the car driven by Clark. They returned to an apartment shared by Clark, Johnson and Montgomery, who received a share of the money and helped discard clothing worn by Johnson during the robbery.

Plea agreements said in the second bank robbery, Montgomery drove to First State Bank and Trust Co. in Valdosta on March 15, 2001, along with Ceasar and two other defendants, Donald Ray Ceasar, and Samuel Lardal Simmons.

Anthony Ceasar, Donald Ceasar and Simmons entered the bank while Montgomery remained in the vehicle. Both Anthony Ceasar and Donald Ceasar carried firearms and the trio robbed a teller of $5,211 at gunpoint and fled the bank in the vehicle.

Anthony Ceasar was sentenced to 155 months in federal prison. Travis Johnson was sentenced to 121 months imprisonment. Denitia Clark was sentenced to serve 111 months imprisonment, and Trista Montgomery received 115 months imprisonment.

After serving their sentences, all four defendants will have five years of supervised release and must pay restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.

Donald Ceasar and Samuel Simmons were sentenced Sept. 6, 2001. Ceasar was sentenced to 125 months, and Simmons received 121 months. Both will have five years of supervised release after completing their sentences.

The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Valdosta Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Remerton and Valdosta Police departments.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. prosecuted the case.



To contact reporter Rip Prine, please call 244-3400, ext. 237.