North Charleston armored car driver who staged his own robbery gets 18 months in prison
North Charleston SC June 7, 2023 A former armored car driver who staged his own robbery, netting him and his co-conspirators nearly $2 million, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in federal court June 5.
James Sewell, 27, masterminded the heist, which took place in the early morning hours of Jan. 16, 2021. He enlisted from his hometown of Cedartown, Ga., two friends, who recruited two others from a local gang operating out of the small town, according to court records.
Sewell, who served in the Marine Corps, was driving a GardaWorld truck in North Charleston when it stopped near a Bank of America ATM just off West Aviation Avenue. Four men pretended to rob him, according to his testimony at two earlier trials. Sewell was struck with a gun and his weapon was taken before the men loaded up $1.9 million into a Chevrolet sedan and fled.
Sewell was arrested shortly after the robbery and quickly turned on his conspirators.
Thomas “Scoona” Calhoun, Quantavius “Popeye” Murphy, Anthony “D-Trill” Burge and Sewell all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank larceny.
Terry “TT” Pollard, who grew up with Sewell, has maintained his innocence.
A trial in January ended in a hung jury, but federal prosecutors re-tried the case in March and the jury found Pollard guilty of the same two counts as others pleaded guilty. He’s filed a motion for a new trial.
Sewell was the star witness at each of those trials, according to U.S. District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks. Though Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow described Sewell as “fidgety” and “flippant” during the first one, he said Sewell’s demeanor greatly improved at the second, which ended in a conviction.
Authorities recovered just $130,600 of the nearly $2 million in cash that was stolen. It is unclear where the rest of it went.
As part of their sentences, the men have been ordered to collectively pay back the remaining $1.7 million.
At the June 5 hearing, Sewell was prepared to pay $3,000 in restitution, according to his attorney, Cody Groeber, an assistant federal public defender.
Sewell was sentenced to 18 months, which is below what federal sentencing guidelines called for. Hendricks handed down the lighter sentence citing his cooperation and lack of criminal history.
In March, Calhoun was sentenced to 51 months in prison; Murphy, to 44 months in prison; and Burge was given credit for time served and sentenced to three years of supervised release. Pollard has not yet been sentenced.
