Tyler

By CASEY KNAUPP
Staff Writer

Two Tyler brothers already charged with two armed bank robberies are scheduled to be brought back to federal court this week to face additional charges for five more bank heists.

Derrick Van Hodges, 34, and his half brother, Paul Edward Thomas, 40, were initially charged in a six-count indictment in November for robbing the Bank of America in Henderson and the Citizens National Bank in Crockett.

Last week, the men were charged in an 18-count superseding indictment and are scheduled to be in U.S. Magistrate Judge John Love's court Wednesday for their initial appearances.

In the new indictment, the men are charged with conspiracy to commit armed robberies of federally insured institutions, as well as five additional bank robberies.

The "Takeover Bandits," are suspected of robbing up to 15 banks in East Texas.

The men would usually steal vehicles to use to travel to and from the bank robberies, the indictment states. The men wore disguises and the defendants had access to a variety of clothes through a retail business owned by Hodges. The men also used firearms during the robberies and would keep the proceeds and clothes hidden between jobs, the indictment states.

The men have now been charged with seven counts of bank robbery for holding up the Kelly Tyler Federal Credit Union, the Bank of America in Henderson, the Austin Bank in Troup, the Bank of America in Lufkin and the Citizens National Bank in Crockett.

They have also been charged with 12 counts of using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.

The government is seeking $179,090 in cash proceeds derived from the robberies.

The conspiracy indictment lists nine robberies in East Texas.

On March 23, 2005, the East Texas Professional Credit Union was robbed. On Sept. 23, 2005, the Bank of America in Henderson was robbed. On Dec. 5, 2005, the Kelly Tyler Federal Credit Union was hit and on Nov. 3, 2006, the Bank of America in Henderson was robbed again. On Feb. 2, 2007, the Citizens National Bank in Marshall was robbed. On May 3, 2007, the Citizens National Bank in Corsicana was held up and on June 22, 2007, the Austin Bank in Troup was robbed. On July 6, 2007, the Bank of America in Lufkin was robbed and on Sept. 21, 2007, the Citizens National Bank in Crocket was held up.

On Sept. 27, Hodges was arrested on state charges for the Henderson robbery after a glove left behind at the bank led investigators to the suspect through DNA, authorities said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Middleton has said the bank robberies involved the men taking over banks, brandishing and discharging firearms, forcing people to lie on the ground and taking a large amount of money that has not been recovered.

If convicted, Thomas and Hodges face up to five years for the conspiracy charge, 25 years in prison for the bank robbery charges, at least seven years for brandishing the handguns during a crime of violence and at least 10 years for discharging the assault rifle.

Thomas was arrested by federal authorities Oct. 11 after a search of three of his storage units led authorities to evidence from the bank heists.