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Pair Confess To String Of Athens County Armed Robberies
< < Back to pair-confess-string-athens-county-armed-robberiesUPDATE 1:15 p.m. An Athens municipal court judge set bond Friday morning for two men accused in a string of armed robberies in Athens County.
James Whiteman and James Geer appeared via video conference on charges of aggravated robbery and complicity to aggravated robbery, respectively.
Whiteman faces three counts of aggravated robbery, stemming from incidents on April 8, June 27 and July 15.
His bond was set at $300,000.
Geer is charged with two counts of complicity to aggravated robbery relating to cases on June 27 and July 15.
His bond was also set at $300,000.
Both men are scheduled for preliminary hearings on July 27 at 2 p.m.
Two men are in custody in connection with a series of armed robberies in the Athens area.
Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly says detectives from his office and the Athens Police Department arrested James Whiteman, 30, of The Plains, and James Geer, 26, of Millfield, Thursday afternoon.
The pair confessed to the armed robbery of the Chauncey Marathon on June 27, the armed robbery of the Guysville Marathon Convenience Store on April 8, the armed robbery of the Richland Avenue Speedway on July 15, two cases of breaking and entering of the Maplewood Inn on East State Street in Athens, and the robbery of T's Quick Stop in Chauncey.
Kelly says they told investigators that Whiteman entered the businesses and robbed the cashier's at gunpoint while Geer acted as a lookout.
Officers recovered a BB gun with a shotgun barrel and a black painted BB handgun during a search of the men's homes.
The men face charges of aggravated robbery and Kelly says more charges are expected at the next grand jury session.
Whiteman and Geer are being held at the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail and are schedule for arraignment via video in court Friday morning.