OKLAHOMA CITY — A federal judge has sentenced Brian Keith Mays, 58, of Arkansas, to 10 years in prison for armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a violent crime.
On July 5, 2024, Mays entered the FNB Community Bank in Harrah, Oklahoma, brandished a pistol and demanded money from bank tellers, according to evidence presented at trial. The tellers complied, and Mays fled with $12,123, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
FBI agents reviewing surveillance footage from the bank and a nearby store were able to track Mays’ escape. An eyewitness observed the license plate number of the vehicle used in the robbery, leading investigators to Mays.
A federal grand jury returned a two-count superseding indictment against Mays on Jan. 21, 2025.
Following a three-day trial, a jury found him guilty on March 13.
At a sentencing hearing June 30, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones ordered Mays to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In issuing the sentence, Jones cited the dangerous nature of the robbery and its impact on the victims.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Oklahoma City and Fort Smith field offices, along with the Harrah Police Department, Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, and Oklahoma City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Gridley and Drew E. Davis and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laney Ellis, an attorney with the City of Oklahoma City funded through a federal Project Safe Neighborhoods grant.
Brett is the founder, and editor in chief of Oklahoma City Free Press. He continues to contribute reporting and photography to the efforts of the publication as well as leadership in developing support.
