A man has been found guilty for his role in the robbery of the Pilot Grove Savings Bank in Packwood in 2018. According to the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office, in the first district court jury trial since the COVID-19 shutdown, a jury in Jefferson County spread out with six feet between them on Friday returned a verdict of guilty for Ross Edward Thornton. He was described at the getaway-driver during the June 1, 2018 robbery. He also took custody of stolen money after the incident and a search in August 2018 recovered $55,000.

Jefferson County Attorney Chauncey Moulding said Thornton appeared to be the leader of the crime. He was convicted of aiding and abetting first degree robbery. He has not yet been sentenced, but the conviction has a 25-year prison term with a mandatory minimum of 17. 5 years.

Thornton served a 10-year sentence for robbing the same Packwood bank in 2007.

In 2019, Jordan Crawford was convicted for his role in the robbery. His conviction is under appeal. Crawford was also convicted for the 2007 robbery alongside Thornton and served a 10-year sentence.

Ethan Spray has entered a plea of guilty to robbery in the second degree for the 2018 robbery. He has not yet been sentenced. Robbery in the second degree has a 10-year sentence with a mandatory minimum incarceration of 5-7 years. Spray’s sentencing has been delayed because he agreed to testify against Crawford and Thornton instead of the first-degree as he’d been charged.

The proceeds of the robbery were allegedly to be used as “seed-money” to fund a drug-trafficking conspiracy.