Suspect arrested in Florida robbing another bank

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Apparently one bank robbery was not enough for Ashland, Ky., man Anthony Artrip.

Artrip, 33, is wanted in connection with a June 3 armed robbery of the Oak Hill Bank branch in South Point. Area law enforcement agencies have been combing the region looking for him but the big break may have come from Artrip's greed.

The Ormond Beach Police Department in Florida arrested Artrip Thursday after a bank robbery there that resulted in a city-wide car chase. Artrip is being held in the Volusia County Jail where he faces charges of armed robbery and extradition back to Lawrence County on charges of aggravated robbery.

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"We are going to send a detective from our office and one from the prosecutor's office to Florida in the coming days,'" Lawrence County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Jeff Lawless said. "We plan to speak to him about the robberies that have occurred in this area."

The same bank was robbed March 17, when it was known as Lawrence Federal Savings Bank, at almost the exact same time of day and also on a Friday. US Bank in Ironton was also robbed earlier this year.

Artrip, described as being 6-foot-tall, approximately 180 pounds with brown hair and numerous tattoos on his arms, chest and back, fled from Florida police in a black Mustang. Eventually, he ditched the car and fled on foot before being apprehended hiding under a tarp.

"He is a dangerous man," Lawless said.

"We are glad he is off the streets."

Police chases are nothing new to Artrip. On the afternoon of June 3, a man believed to be Artrip entered the bank, showed a weapon and left with a bag of cash, according to the sheriff's office.

A police chase followed on U.S. 52, State Route 243, and then County Roads 6 and 52 before the suspect's car plunged over an embankment and into a field.

An alleged accomplice was located walking on State Route 243 and was taken into custody by sheriff's deputies. Michael Myers, 27, also of Ashland, has been charged with complicity to aggravated robbery.