Benton Harbor Man Sentenced For Five Bank Robberies

A 50-year-old Benton Harbor man will spend 15 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for five bank robberies in Michigan and Indiana. U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge says Kevin Turner was sentenced Thursday in federal court after pleading guilty in February. Federal prosecutors say Turner recruited his nephew, Draper Turner, to rob an Old National Bank in Kalamazoo in March 2019. He explained to his nephew how to do it, and Draper was able to get away with over $3,000 in cash, but they were spotted by an off-duty Kalamazoo public safety lieutenant who was able to get the license plate number before losing them in traffic.

After being arrested, Draper confessed and said his uncle had bragged about the other robberies. Surveillance footage and cell phone data linked Kevin Turner with the other four robberies. Draper Turner was sentenced last fall to just over 4 years in prison, while his uncle got a harsher sentence due to prior offenses and waiting until just before trial to plead guilty.