‘Bad Hair Bandit’ gets 20 years for bank robberies; wife sentenced to 10

Above, Jason and Tasha Fox during a court hearing in Whitley County in 2012.

A local couple, who admitted they took part in a string of bank robberies in Kentucky and Tenn. in 2011, received lengthy prison sentences for their crimes.

U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove had harsh words for Jason Fox as he ordered him to serve 20 years behind bars for the robbery spree, during which he inherited the name “The Bad Hair Bandit” from investigators who were hunting him. Fox wore an assortment of women’s wigs during the robberies.

His wife Tasha Fox, the getaway driver in five of the seven robberies, received 10 years in prison.

“You have forever taken from these banks and employees of these banks something that we value in this society, and that’s a sense of security,” Van Tatenhove said before handing down the sentence. “We don’t want to live in a community where these types of violent acts occur. The public will be safer … because of your detention.”

“You should have known better.”

U.S. District Attorney Sam Dotson also heaped scorn on Fox, calling him a career criminal with often violent tendencies who “seemed to enjoy” carrying out the robberies toward the end.

Fox’s attorney, Patrick Nash, took exception to that characterization, saying his client was fueled by drug addiction, depression and the desire to provide for his family.

Prosecutors wanted a longer term of 293 months for Fox, but Van Tatenhove went below that in an effort he said, to at least offer some “hope” that Fox can have a life after prison. He will be in his 50s when released.

Fox broke his public silence about the charges against him, issuing an apology to the victims of his crimes, and to his family.

“I am dead guilty of everything that has been said here today,” Fox said. “I want to formally apologize to the victims … I am sorry for the things I said to them … for scaring them.”

Fox added that he felt his wife would have never taken part in crimes of this severity of it wasn’t for her relationship with him.

“I am sorry I brought you into this,” he told her.

It was a theme that resonated later in the proceedings.

Tasha Fox’s attorney, David Hoskins, said she was a devoted mother with periods of a solid work history who was simply enamored with her husband. The couple has two children, ages 12 and 5.

“Tasha Fox would have never been involved in any type of crime … if she had not had the misfortune of falling in love with Jason Fox,” he said. “She was under the sway of Jason, and she did what he told her to do.”

Van Tatenhove noted that Tasha Fox’s involvement was not as severe — she never entered any of the banks or threatened anyone — and that she had no real significant criminal history. But he far from absolved her from responsibility.

“You were completely complicit in it,” he said. “You made a conscious decision to participate in this and you did it over, and over and over again.”

Aside from the prison terms, the couple was ordered to pay back the victims of their crimes significant restitution. Jason Fox was ordered to pay $80,028.38 and Tasha Fox is to pay $57,957.88. The restitution is to be paid jointly.

Jason Fox pleaded guilty in April to one count of bank robbery and four counts of armed robbery for the five banks in Knox, McCreary and Whitley counties in Kentucky, during which he took $61,041.88. In addition, he pleaded guilty to two counts in an information indictment charging him with the robbery of banks in Jellico and LaFollette, Tenn., during which he took a total of $18,484.50.

The first robbery occurred on June. 9, 2011 at First Volunteer Bank in Jellico, Tenn.

On June 17, 2011, Fox struck at Commercial Bank in Barbourville.

On July 5, 2011, Fox robbed the Bank of McCreary County in Pine Knot. It was on this occasion, that Tasha Fox became involved, driving the getaway car for the first time.

Jason Fox returned to Barbourville, striking Forcht Bank on Aug. 19, 2011. Once again, Tasha Fox drove the getaway car.

Jason Fox’s next target was the Hometown Bank of Corbin on Oct. 25, 2011, with Tasha Fox driving the getaway vehicle.

Jason Fox was back in Tennessee on Oct. 28, 2011, hitting Y-12 Federal Credit Union in LaFollette with Tasha Fox driving the getaway car.

The last robbery occurred Dec. 1, 2011 at the Walmart branch of L&N Federal Credit Union in Williamsburg.

The teller complied with Jason Fox’s demand to put the money in the bag he had brought, but when she began putting in the rolls of coins, Fox reportedly stopped her, took the bag and fled the scene.

Williamsburg Police received information on the make and model of the vehicle which they traced to Tasha Fox through a traffic ticket.

A family member confirmed to police that Jason Fox owned the vehicle and a notice was sent out to area law enforcement to be on the lookout for the vehicle. Barbourville Police Det. Steve Owens passed the vehicle soon after, initiated a traffic stop and took Jason Fox into custody. After several hours of questioning by police and Tennessee FBI agents, Jason Fox confessed. 

Williamsburg Police arrested Tasha Fox on Dec. 2, 2011.

Tasha Fox pleaded guilty to her part in the robberies on Feb. 21.