Keppel
Steele
PORT JERVIS – Two people are in custody resulting from a multi-agency investigation into the robbery last Friday of the TD Bank branch in Port Jervis and an earlier robbery of the Jeff Bank branch in Monticello.
Authorities tracked the suspects down to a bus terminal in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Monticello Village Police are charging Erin Keppel, 32, with felony robbery and grand larceny in a robbery at the Jeff Bank branch at 19 Forestburg Road on Saturday, November 18.
Keppel and Steven Steele, 32, were charged with robbery and criminal possession of stolen property, both as felonies, in connection with the Friday, November 24 robbery at the TD Bank North branch at 205 East Main Street in Port Jervis.
Keppel is alleged to have gone into the bank, made off with cash and got into an awaiting pickup truck driven by Steele. The vehicle fled toward the New York/New Jersey border. The vehicle was later determined to have been stolen from Hope, New Jersey and later recovered in Stafford County, Virginia.
Both defendants face local charges in Virginia and are awaiting extradition to New York to face charges in Sullivan and Orange counties.
The arrests were the result of a multi-agency investigation by police from Port Jervis, Monticello, Town of Deerpark, State Police, City of New York, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Sullivan and Orange County DA’s offices, Stafford and Fredericksburg Virginia police departments.
