Arrests made in robbery case
By Staff
Jason Houston FCT Managing Editor
Two men were arrested this week in a bizarre robbery scheme that dates back to mid-October.
Sheriff Larry Plott said Robert Gentry Gooch, 44, of 402 South Weakley Drive in Florence, and Brian Bailey Hanvack, 32, of 16470 Highway 157 in Florence, were both arrested this week and each charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and two counts of first-degree kidnapping.
All four charges are Class A felonies, each punishable by up to life in prison upon conviction.
A spokesman for the Franklin County Sheriff's Department said that on Oct. 14, a report was filed by two females and a male stating they were stopped at gunpoint while driving along a road near Colbert County and 2-3 males emerged from nearby woods and robbed them of $50,000 in cash that one of the females was keeping in an attempt to buy a house.
The victims reported they were tied up and left on the side of the road, where one of them eventually worked her way loose and helped the others. The robbers escaped with the cash, the car and other personal items.
Investigators said it was suspected one of the victims was involved in the robbery. The victims were lined up to take a polygraph and Gooch, the driver of the vehicle, never showed up to take the test.
Investigators said Gooch was interviewed and confessed to assisting in the robbery by letting the others involved in the robbery know where the victims were going to be at a certain time.
Further investigation led to Hanvack, who also confessed his involvement.
Gooch is being held on other charges in the Colbert County Jail, awaiting transfer to Franklin County. Hanvack was being held at press time on bond totaling $40,000.
Investigators said approximately $9,000 of the stolen money was recovered, and the investigation into the incident is ongoing and further arrests could result.
The Colbert County Sheriff's Department, Colbert County Task Force, Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department, Lauderdale County Task Force, Alabama Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Franklin County District Attorney's Office, Sheffield Police Department and the Wayne County (Tenn.) Sheriff's Department all assisted the Franklin County Sheriff's Department on the case.
