Byron McCollum, age 67, of Lake Worth, Florida, was sentenced today to serve 32 years in Federal prison for the June 2, 2015 armed robbery of Regions Bank on Veterans Parkway in Columbus, announced U.S. Attorney G.F. “Pete" Peterman, III. The Honorable Clay D. Land, United States District Court Judge, handed down the sentence in Columbus. Mr. McCollum has an extensive criminal record which includes nine prior convictions for armed robberies of banks throughout the Southeastern United States.
Mr. McCollum was convicted of armed robbery, following a four-day jury trial, on March 3, 2016. Testimony at trial revealed that Mr. McCollum and Michael Lee Hall entered the bank on June 2, 2015 wearing masks, hats and gloves and brandishing handguns. Mr. Hall walked into the bank’s lobby and ordered a female employee to the floor. Mr. McCollum approached the bank counter and ordered a female customer to the floor. He then displayed a handgun and demanded a bank teller open the door to allow him access behind the bank counter.
Once behind the counter, Mr. McCollum emptied currency from the cash drawers into a backpack. The pair then drove off in a red Chevrolet Camaro. Further testimony revealed that Mr. McCollum had stolen the red Chevrolet Camaro from Trophy Ford in Forsyth, Georgia prior to the bank robbery. While the pair was still in the bank parking lot, dye packs exploded inside the backpack covering the money with dye. They then abandoned the Camaro and drove from Columbus to Macon in Mr. McCollum’s gray Cadillac with Mr. Hall driving and Mr. McCollum lying in the backseat with the handgun ready in case they were stopped by law enforcement. He claimed that he would shoot the officer as he passed the back window of the vehicle should that happen.
Michael Lee Hall pled guilty to bank robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence on Aug. 3, 2015. He was sentenced by Judge Land to serve 234 months in prison on Nov. 18, 2015 for his part in the crime. He was also ordered to pay restitution to Regions Bank. He also had a prior conviction for armed bank robbery in Columbus in 1994. Mr. Hall did not testify at Mr. McCollum’s trial.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Columbus Police Department, Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and Pinellas County, Florida Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Melvin E. Hyde, Jr. and Assistant United States Attorney Crawford Seals prosecuted the case on behalf of the Government.
Inquiries regarding this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, United States Attorney’s Office at (478) 621-2603.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
