Guilty plea accepted in federal bank robbery case, sentencing set for spring

A Corbin man, who entered a guilty plea earlier this month to a federal bank robbery charge, is scheduled to be sentenced this spring.

Shawn Fox, 35, entered the plea during a hearing in U.S. District Court in London on Jan. 10, though the magistrate judge who took the plea was not able to make the final decision on whether or not to accept it. Instead, a recommendation was made by the magistrate judge to U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom to accept the plea and impose a sentence.

According to court documents filed in U.S. District Court on Jan. 18, Boom adopted the magistrate judge’s recommendation and accepted Fox’s guilty plea. A filing from Jan. 19 showed that Boom scheduled Fox’s sentencing for May 9 at 1:30 p.m.

The sentencing guidelines for Fox’s charge can include up to a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Doug Benge, Fox’s attorney, stated earlier this month following Fox’s plea that he expects Fox to receive a five-to-10-year sentence.

Fox’s plea was made as part of an agreement with prosecutors, which included a restitution amount of $1,965 to be paid to Community Trust Bank, though there were no sentencing terms.

On Sept. 27, 2022, Fox entered the Community Trust Bank on US25 in southern Laurel County, where he gave a note to the bank teller, which he said during his plea hearing read something to the effect of “be calm, be quick and be quiet” and asked the teller “not to do anything they’ll both regret.” 

Fox took $5,304 before fleeing the bank, dropping some of the money on his way out. Laurel County Dispatch was notified of the robbery at approximately 12:50 p.m. after a bank employee called 911. Officers in the area were provided a description of the vehicle used to flee the bank, a maroon Honda Civic and a search began.

A Laurel County Sheriff’s deputy located the vehicle abandoned at a residence that Fox allegedly rented. A pair of white pants and tan work boots were found on the ground outside of the vehicle. Fox later told police that he wore the found garments over his clothing during the robbery and ditched them when he abandoned the vehicle. 

Fox then took a red Ford F-150 pickup truck from his landlord and fled the area again. A description of the vehicle was provided to police and another search was initiated.

Knox County Sheriff Mike Smith soon found the described vehicle behind a residence on Moore Hill Avenue. Police called out to Fox from outside the home and he surrendered to police without incident.

Fox admitted to police as he was being arrested that he had some of the cash in his pockets and told them where to find the rest, which was in a backpack.

Fox was indicted on the one count of bank robbery by a federal grand jury in November 2022.

Fox currently remains jailed in the Laurel County Correctional Facility.