Tifton, Georgia, bank robber sentenced to prison

Apr. 16—ALBANY, Ga. — A man who robbed a Tifton bank in 2018, telling the bank clerk he was in possession of a bomb, has been sentenced to federal prison without parole for his crime, said Peter D. Leary, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.

Randy Angelo Hill, 35, of Tifton, was sentenced to serve 72 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Louis Sands on Wednesday, April 14. Hill previously pleaded guilty to one count bank robbery. There is no parole in the federal system.

"The penalty is federal prison time for individuals who choose to commit violent acts of crime that terrorize our citizens," Leary said. "I want to thank our law enforcement partners at the federal and local levels who worked seamlessly to quickly arrest the defendant and restore peace to the Tifton community."

"Innocent citizens terrorized by acts like this never fully recover from the trauma it causes," said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "The best we can do for them is to make sure the individuals who cause the trauma are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. That was only possible in this case because of our partnerships and the quick reaction of the Tifton Police Department and the Tift County Sheriff Office."

According to the facts he admitted under oath before the Court, Hill robbed the South Georgia Banking Company located at 725 W. SecondSt. on October 2, 2018. Undisguised, Hill dropped a plastic bag over the teller counter and told an employee, "This is a robbery. I have a bomb. Put money in the bag. I will blow everybody up here." Hill fled on foot with stolen cash and was apprehended by Tifton Police that day.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Tifton Police Department and the Tift County Sheriff's Office. Criminal Division Chief Michael Solis is prosecuting the case for the Government.