South Carolina Criminal Lawyer Blog

A stripper, her sex-offender sibling and their half-brother, also known as the "Dougherty Gang," were finally arrested this week after a high-speed chase on I-25 in Pueblo County, Colorado. The chase ended when their car flipped after running over "stop sticks" and smashed into a guardrail. Lee Grace Dougherty got out of the wrecked vehicle and began shooting at police, who returned fire. They ended up shooting the girl in the leg and transported her and her two brothers to a nearby medical center for non-life threatening injuries. Following their release from the hospital, they were then booked at the Pueblo County Jail.

The trio were wanted for a Valdosta bank robbery last Tuesday and the attempted murder of a Flordia police officer. Their crime spree started last Tuesday in Pasco County when they fired about 20 shots at a police officer. One of the bullets pierced the officer’s tire, causing a flat which ended the pursuit. This week, officials were tipped off by a witness who spotted the siblings at a campground near Colorado City. By the time officers arrived at the camp site, the vehicle was gone but was spotted soon after at a gas station. Then, the chase was on, with speeds exceeding 100 mph before it ended some 20 miles later.

The FBI believe the siblings decided to leave Lacoochee, FL following the Aug. 1 sentencing of Ryan Dougherty, 21. Ryan registered as a sex offender and serve 12 years probation for sending 400 sexually explicit text messages to an 11-year-old girl he met online. Before they robbed the bank, Dougherty cut off his ankle monitor. FBI Special Agent Phil Niedringhaus said the three face federal warrants in Florida and Georgia and charges were also expected in Colorado. It is unclear whether the siblings have retained a federal criminal defense lawyer.

In 2008 demand notes were presented in 3,833 of the 6,700 bank robberies. Verbal demands occurred in 3,683 bank jobs, and some were combined with the demand notes. Weapons were threatened in roughly a third of robberies and used in about one in four bank jobs, the statistics show. The details come from data that the FBI collects about robberies of federally insured banks in the U.S., from the days and times that robberies most often occur (Fridays and between 9 and 11 a.m.), to the amount of loot taken and recovered. This data is especially valuable to financial institutions.

The FBI has had a primary role in bank robbery investigations since the 1930s, when John Dillinger and his gang were robbing banks and capturing the public’s attention. In 1934, it became a federal crime to rob any national bank or state member bank of the Federal Reserve System. The law soon expanded to include bank burglary and larceny, with jurisdiction delegated to the FBI. The FBI now has a role alongside local law enforcement in bank robbery investigations.

If you or someone you know has been charged with a federal crime, you will need to consult with a good federal criminal lawyer in your area. Our federal defense lawyers are ready to talk to you about your case. Call The Mace Firm for a free consultation.

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