Posted 11:04 am Thursday, July 16, 2009
'Take Over Bandit' Withdraws Request For New Counsel Before Sentencing
By CASEY KNAUPP
Staff Writer
Paul Edward Thomas, who awaits sentencing for robbing several East Texas banks, appeared briefly in Tyler federal court on Wednesday, withdrawing his request for new counsel.
Staff Writer
Paul Edward Thomas, who awaits sentencing for robbing several East Texas banks, appeared briefly in Tyler federal court on Wednesday, withdrawing his request for new counsel.
Thomas, 40, and his half-brother Derrick Van Hodges, 34, have been convicted by a jury of 18 felony charges for robbing five banks and are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 10.
Thomas, who has court-appointed counsel, filed a handwritten motion and affidavit, requesting new attorneys for assistance before his sentencing hearing.
Thomas and Hodges were originally set to be sentenced June 17 but Thomas mailed the motion on June 15 and it was filed with the court on June 17.
U.S. public defenders Wayne Dickey and Ken Hawk, who represent Thomas, had nothing to do with the filing, but appeared in U.S. District Judge Michael Schneider's court for Wednesday's hearing.
Thomas told the judge his first reaction was to hire his own attorney but after talking to family members, he realized he couldn't afford a "personal attorney," he said. If the court allowed, Thomas said he would remain with his court-appointed counsel Dickey and Hawk.
"Are you saying you are satisfied with their representation?" Schneider asked Thomas.
"Yes sir," the defendant replied, adding that he wanted to withdraw his motion.
Thomas said he has had additional time to review his pre-sentence investigation report; the main issue in his request for new counsel.
Hodges and Thomas were found guilty Sept. 26 of conspiracy, five bank robbery charges, 11 charges of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of discharging an assault rifle. The defendants face up to five years in prison for the conspiracy charge, 25 years each for the bank robbery charges, at least seven years each for showing handguns during a crime of violence and at least 10 years for discharging an assault rifle.
Attorneys have said the men are suspected of robbing 15 banks but were only tried for five.
The "Takeover Bandits" were convicted of robbing the Kelly Community Federal Credit Union in Tyler on Dec. 5, 2005; the Bank of America in Henderson on Nov. 3, 2006; the Austin Bank in Troup June 22, 2007; the Bank of America in Lufkin July 6, 2007; and the Citizen's National Bank in Crockett Sept. 22, 2007.
Assistant U.S. attorney Jim Middleton and Frank Coan prosecuted the case while Jeffery Clark and Charles Van Cleef represented Hodges and Dickey Hawk represented Thomas.
