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February 11, 2012

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Inventive Henderson robbery scheme falls flat

Monday, Nov. 16, 2009 | 2:36 p.m.

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Five men are being charged with a bank robbery scheme that was, if not successful, at least inventive.

Rather than bust into a Wells Fargo in Henderson with guns drawn, authorities allege a team of men walked into the bank armed with a fake federal search warrant — a document they claimed gave them the authority to seize all the money in the bank’s vault.

According to a complaint filed today, the men — Eric Griffin, 39, of Henderson; Jonathan Miranda-Brewster, 25, of Orange County, Calif.; Jonathan Gray, 24, of Buena Park, Calif.; Brady Beach, 24, of El Toro, Calif.; and Ryan Williams, 30, of Fullerton, Calif. — entered the West Sunset Road bank late Friday morning, presented the bogus search warrant and demanded money from the vault.

The bank’s manager apparently wasn't convinced.

The incident quickly went downhill from here, according to the complaint: Griffin ordered Miranda-Brewster to handcuff the bank manager. The men then allegedly threatened to execute the bank manager if he did not open the vault, the report indicated. Two of the men then walked the handcuffed bank manager out of the building, then let him back inside when he explained how to open the safe.

Once inside, the bank manager made a phone call to security (apparently he told the five men he was getting permission to open the vault). The bank manager then hung up the phone and demanded the men leave, which they did — walking out of the building and right into the warm embrace of waiting Henderson Police.

The men are set to appear in federal court today.

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