A Salmon Arm man has been sentenced in connection with two explosive bank robbery attempts in Edmonton.
On Oct. 22 in Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, Justin David Byron, 41, was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years in jail for robbingtwo Edmonton banks in 2018. Byron created improvised explosive devices and used them in his crimes.
Byron was arrested on March 4, 2019 at Edmonton International Airport following an investigation by Edmonton Police into his two robberies. In the first incident, on Sept. 19, 2018, an explosion occurred at a bank vestibule as an armoured car guard was entering. No one was injured and no money was taken.
In the second incident, which occurred on Dec. 13, 2018, at another financial institution, two explosions occurred, and two armoured vehicle guards suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Police said a man allegedly entered the bank vestibule, grabbed a deposit bag and ran to a pickup truck parked nearby.
In March 2019, Salmon Arm RCMP, working with the Edmonton Police Service, investigated a rural property on Grandview Bench Road near Salmon Arm. Following the local investigation, Edmonton Staff Sgt. Rob Mills stated the accused was believed to have been planning another incident, “and we’re happy that we prevented another attack.”
With files from Lachlan Labere
Read more: Salmon Arm man accused in Edmonton bank explosions in court for weapon offences
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