A Macon man has been sentenced to federal prison after being convicted of robbing a Truist Bank branch, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Gabriel Bell, 29, was given a total of 111 months behind bars—87 months for the bank robbery and an additional 24 months for violating supervised release from a previous conviction.
On February 16, 2023, Bell entered the Truist Bank at 2998 Riverside Drive with his face covered by a blue surgical mask, devoid of customers at the moment. He handed a teller a note demanding money and threatening violence—though no weapon was produced. The Justice Department reports that surveillance footage and tips from the public helped identify Bell as the perpetrator.
Bell was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to Truist Bank and will be subject to five years of supervised release post-imprisonment. Chief U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell handed down the sentence on June 5, emphasizing the gravity of Bell's crime considering his history of offenses. Having been previously convicted for the armed robbery of a Huddle House in 2015, and illegal possession of a firearm as a felon in 2021, Bell faced his latest trial with significant prior convictions influencing the severity of his sentence.
"Two tips from concerned citizens helped law enforcement quickly track down Gabriel Bell," U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said, underlining the critical role that community collaboration plays in law enforcement's pursuit of justice, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office. With these tips, and combined investigative efforts from the FBI and Bibb County Sheriff's Office, Bell's repeat offense landed him a substantial prison term. Notably, according to the FBI, evidence from Bell's cell phone and Google account verified his presence near the bank during the time of the robbery, strengthening the case against him.
The effective partnership between the local deputies and the FBI was praised by Bibb County Sheriff David J. Davis, who acknowledged the dedication put into securing Bell's sentence. "Our citizens can be grateful that dedicated investigative work from Bibb deputies and FBI agents have resulted in a repeat offender receiving prison time as a result of choosing crime as a career," he said, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard successfully prosecuted the case for the Government.
