INDEPENDENCE TWP. (WWJ) – A Belleville man who has multiple prior bank robbery convictions is being held on $1 million bond for allegedly robbing an Oakland County credit union last week.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office says Shannon Donald Sexton, 53, robbed the Vibe Credit Union branch on Dixie Highway in Independence Township shortly after 4 p.m. last Thursday.
Authorities say Sexton – who was wearing a neon yellow/green hoodie, blue face mask, and dark sunglasses – walked in, handed a note to the teller instructing them to empty the cash drawer.
He quickly left the credit union, running north towards the Speedway Gas Station with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Investigators were able to identify the type of car the suspect was driving, which was connected to a rental agency. Sexton was eventually tracked down in Pontiac and arrested during a traffic stop less than 24 hours after the robbery.
Sexton was arraigned Monday on one count of bank robbery.
“I am proud of our team and the quick, diligent, and great police work that allowed them to identify and take a suspect into custody in such a short period of time,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said, per a press release.
Sexton has "an extensive criminal history," which includes multiple convictions for breaking and entering, according to the sheriff's office.
He was convicted on federal bank robbery charges in 2014. His parole on the federal conviction was to end in 2025.
He also had bank robbery convictions in 2010 in state court from bank robberies in Roseville and Saint Clair Shores. He was sentenced to 30-40 years in prison on those convictions. He was paroled on April 16 of this year.