seymour bank robbed

On Friday afternoon bank robbery occurred at the BB&T Bank building on Chapman Hwy. in Seymour. This is the third robbery in East Tennessee recently and the first in the Seymour area.

A man robbed the BB&T Bank in Blount County near the Sevier County line at about 1:55 p.m. Police are searching the area for the suspect but have yet to release a description.

At approximately 9:00 a.m., someone robbed the BB&T Bank in Knoxville.

Also, the so-called "Grandpa Bank Robber" robbed a Knoxville bank just after 11:00 a.m. The FBI is investigating all the robberies. The "Grandpa Bank Robber" was identified as a suspect by the FBI is Bobby Joe Phillips of Covington, Georgia, he was using the 2003 red Chevrolet S-10 pickup with Georgia license plate AWG7679 he has used previously. Investigators say they're not certain about the getaway vehicle the robber used Friday.

Phillips is also suspected of robbing a First Tennessee bank in West Knoxville twice in October.

He's described as 5'10", 170 pounds. He has gray hair, blue eyes, wears glasses and has tattoos on his forearms. He's believed to be in his 60's.

On Friday in Knoxville, the robber was wearing a ball cap, a plaid shirt and had a pistol visible in his waistband.

Investigators believe Phillips has robbed at least seven banks: 

Tennessee Members 1st Federal Credit Union in Knoxville on November 9

A bank in Warner Robbins, Georgia on November 8

Tennessee Members 1st Federal Credit Union in Knoxville on November 1

First Georgia Community Bank in Covington, Georgia on September 20

First Tennessee Bank on Cedar Bluff Road in Knoxville on October 1

First Tennessee Bank on Cedar Bluff Road in Knoxville on October 12

SunTrust Bank in Suwanee, Georgia on October 24

 And possibly the Seymour bank.

If you have any information that may lead to the arrest of any of the suspects, call (865) 544-0751.

FBI and Blount County SO search for man who robbed two BB&T in Seymour.

The Knoxville Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Sheriff James Berrong are asking for the public's assistance in locating the man who robbed the BB&T Bank in Seymour this afternoon.

At ten minutes before two this afternoon, a white male entered the BB&T Bank at 10232 Chapman Highway.  He presented a demand note to a teller in which he claimed to have a gun.  He placed an undetermined amount of money in a light green bag, possibly a pillow case, and left on foot.  He was last seen going east on Parrot Road behind the bank, where he may have gotten into a blue Ford Escort driven by a white female. Witnesses describe the man as having an olive complexion, in his mid-20s, 5'8"- 5'9", weighing 150 pounds, wearing a zippered camouflage jacket with a hood.  The robber had on a dark ball cap with an emblem on it, aviator-style sunglasses, and had a thin mustache. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 865/544-0751, or the Blount County Sheriff's Office at 865/983-3620.  The public is reminded not to approach the individual, but to contact law enforcement.