Arkansas man sentenced to 10 years for armed bank robbery in Harrah

A federal judge has sentenced a 58-year-old Arkansas man to 10 years in prison for robbing a Harrah bank at gunpoint in 2024.

According to the U.S. Attorney's office in Oklahoma City, 58-year-old Brian Keith Mays was convicted in March after a federal jury found him guilty of armed bank robbery and using a firearm in the furtherance of a violent crime

The charges stem from a July 5, 2024, robbery at FNB Community Bank in Harrah, where Mays pointed a pistol at employees and demanded cash.

Investigators say Mays stole more than $12,000 during the robbery and fled the scene. Surveillance video from the bank and a nearby store, along with a witness-provided vehicle tag number, helped the FBI and local law enforcement track Mays down.

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U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones handed down the 10-year sentence during a hearing on June 30. Mays will also serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term. Judge Jones cites the dangerous nature of the robbery and the emotional toll on bank employees in his sentencing remarks.

The case was investigated by the FBI's Oklahoma City and Fort Smith field offices, with assistance from the Harrah Police Department.

Mays' conviction is a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative focused on combating violent crime, drug trafficking, and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated federal, state, and local enforcement efforts.