Suspect charged in township bank robbery

Suspect charged in township bank robbery

By Matt Mackinder
Clarkston News Editor

OAKLAND COUNTY — A Belleville man who was on parole from a 2014 federal bank robbery conviction is being held on $1 million bond after he was charged Oct. 23 with robbing an Independence Township credit union.
Shannon Donald Sexton, 53, was arraigned in 52-2nd District Court with a single count of bank robbery in connection with the Oct. 19 robbery of the Vibe Credit Union branch office located at 6580 Dixie Highway.
Sexton was arrested less than 24 hours after the robbery.
“I am proud of our team and the quick, diligent, and great police work that allowed them to identify and take a suspect into custody in such a short period of time,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
Sexton has an extensive criminal history, which includes multiple convictions for breaking and entering. His parole on the federal bank robbery conviction was to end in 2025. He also had bank robbery convictions in 2010 in state court from bank robberies in Roseville and Saint Clair Shores. He was sentenced to 30-40 years in prison on those convictions but was paroled back on April 16.
In the Vibe robbery, Sexton entered the branch, handed the teller a note announcing the robbery and instructed the teller to empty the cash drawer. Witnesses said Sexton was wearing a neon yellow/green hoodie, blue face mask, and dark sunglasses. He quickly left the credit union and ran north towards a Speedway gas station with an undisclosed amount of money.
Detectives identified the type of vehicle Sexton was driving. The vehicle was connected to a rental agency and detectives tracked the vehicle to a location in Pontiac where Sexton was arrested Oct. 20 during a traffic stop.

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