Man pleads guilty to violent bank robbery in 2012, gets 30 years

One of four men who carried out a brazen midday armed robbery of the Wells Fargo bank on Two Notch Road three years ago was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to his role in the crime.

On Nov. 9, 2012, Ozzie Carreker, who was sentenced Tuesday, Ramell Wright, Rashad Hall, and Na’Im Stroman, who is still awaiting trial, donned bandannas and hoodies and walked into the bank at 7305 Two Notch Road waving handguns and an assault rifle, prosecutors said.

Before the four robbers fled the bank with guns blazing, bank employees were held hostage while the cash drawers were emptied, and employees were forced to fill a trash bag with money from the bank vault. At the same time, tracking units and dye packs were slipped surreptitiously into the money bag taken by the thieves.

Richland County deputies gave chase to the robbers, who fled toward Columbia in a Ford Explorer. The high-speed chase through residential areas was punctuated by gunfire from the suspects’ SUV.

All four men were caught.

Rashad Hall was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the robbery and a series of unrelated crimes. Na’Im Stroman has yet to stand trial. Ramell Wright was shot and killed while being apprehended.

Rachael Myers Lowe

This story was originally published December 15, 2015 at 9:52 PM.