Man, woman charged with robbing bank near Charles Town, W.Va.

Reginald Andre Taylor was charged with bank robbery; Yolanda Rochelle Armstrong was charged with accessory after the fact

August 30, 2012

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — A man and a woman have been charged with robbing a bank Thursday morning at Somerset Plaza near Charles Town, W.Va., the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.

Reginald Andre Taylor, 48, of 3801 Kenworth Ave. in Bladensburg, Md., was charged with bank robbery, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

Yolanda Rochelle Armstrong, 39, of the same address, was charged with accessory after the fact.

Deputies said they were called to a bank robbery in progress shortly after 9 a.m. at the MVB East Bank at 88 Somerset Blvd. As police were on their way to the scene, dispatchers said the alleged robber, who was wearing a yellow safety vest, escaped on a bicycle before he jumped into a maroon Toyota with Maryland license plates.

Witnesses said the car was driven by a female.

Capt. Robbie Roberts of the Ranson Police Department spotted the Toyota about four minutes after the 911 center received the first call at 9:16 a.m., police said.

Minutes later, the vehicle was stopped on U.S. 340 less than two miles from the bank and surrounded by police cars, according to Deputy Tracy Harrison, the investigating officer.

“We got a lot of tips right away, and they were very helpful,” she said. “The eyewitnesses saw that something wasn’t right.”

Officers said they found a large amount of money in a duffle bag inside the vehicle. Money also was found scattered about the vehicle, and a yellow vest was found inside.

Armstrong and Taylor were taken to the sheriff’s office, where they were questioned about the robbery, the release said. Police allege Taylor confessed to being involved, saying Armstrong had no idea he was going to rob the bank.

Armstrong told authorities she knew Taylor had committed a robbery when he came back to the car with the money, deputies allege in the release. Officers found $10,504 inside the car and the bank, and on the ground outside.

Police said no weapon was used during the robbery.

West Virginia State Police and police from Charles Town, Ranson and Harpers Ferry assisted at the scene.

Staff writers Dan Dearth and Richard Belisle contributed to this story.

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