Augusta man busted for robbery after stopping for beer

Stopping for a 12-pack of Natural Ice proved to be a costly mistake for an Augusta man who police said held up an Aiken bank Friday afternoon and then drove to a nearby grocery store for beer and fruit juice.

Marvin Thomas Mims, 43, of Augusta, has been jailed for bank robbery.

The 43-year-old Georgia man had been out of jail for about a month for robbery by intimidation and first-degree forgery in Augusta and was wearing an ankle bracelet when Aiken Public Safety officers say he robbed the Security Federal on Richland Avenue.

About 2:45 p.m. a man entered the bank and handed the teller a note demanding money. He was unarmed or at least did not threaten the use of a weapon, officials said.

He received an undisclosed amount of money and was seen running from the bank to a parking lot across the street where he was seen getting into a blue Ford Ranger pickup truck.

Police Sgt. Aaron Dowdy said an alert resident who saw the robbery called Aiken Public Safety and was able to provide police with detailed information that included the vehicle the robber was driving and where he was headed.

Police learned Mims briefly entered the Food Lion grocery store in Kalmia Plaza and then left the parking lot in the truck.

He was arrested on Richland Avenue after he got stuck in traffic, Dowdy said.

Witnesses said the man who was arrested was wearing an ankle bracelet.

According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Mims was sentenced to 12 years in prison for "robbery by intimidation" and first-degree forgery.

He was incarcerated in Georgia from April 1, 2003, until Jan. 26 of this year.

Funds taken during the robbery were recovered.

The Richland Avenue Security Federal has made headlines before Friday's robbery. In September 2004, national news outlets reported a holdup at the Northside branch after a man wearing shorts and long tube socks entered the store with a rusty pitch fork, held up the tellers and made off with an undisclosed amount of money.

That 2004 holdup is still unsolved.

Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.