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Armed bank robber, 71, pleads guilty to Fort Myers Halloween heist

Bank surveillance video of October 31, armed robbery.
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WGCU

A 71-year-old Mansfield, Ohio, man is facing a possible life prison sentence after pleading guilty to the Halloween armed robbery of a Fort Myers bank.

Grant Elmore Davis, Jr. entered a guilty plea Wednesday to charges of armed bank robbery, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

A sentencing date has not been set.

According to court documents, Davis entered the Truist Bank at 14490 Palm Beach Blvd. in Fort Myers on October 31 and discharged a handgun while making verbal commands to the teller to give him money from the cash register.

Davis also pointed a handgun in the teller's direction during the robbery.

After obtaining money from the teller, Davis exited the bank, dropping a portion of the bills as he left.

Bank surveillance video
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WGCU
Grant Elmore Davis, Jr. , 71, of Mansfield, Ohio, entered a guilty plea Wednesday to charges of armed bank robbery, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

In November 2001, Davis was convicted of armed bank robbery and using and carrying a short-barreled shotgun in relation to a crime of violence in the Fort Myers area. He was released from prison in April 2013, and as a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

According to a report from the Lee County Sheriff's Office, Davis left the scene in a green Dodge Dakota.

On Nov. 1 Sheriff's Office detectives located Grant’s vehicle in a heavily wooded area in the area of East 10th Street and Lincoln Avenue in Lehigh Acres.

Shortly after, detectives observed Grant get in his vehicle and drive to a 7-Eleven at 530 Joel Boulevard. The LCSO Fugitive Warrant Unit arrested him without incident and turned him over to the FBI.

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