An employee of a courier service is one of two people charged in the February theft of over $400,000 from an armored vehicle at Ala Moana Center.
On Monday, Ameer Davis, 23, of Kaneohe, was charged “with bank theft as an agent of, or as a person connected in a capacity with a federally insured bank,” according to a complaint filed in Hawaii’s U.S. District Court.
U.S. Attorney Kenji Price said Davis, a Pacific Courier employee, was riding in a Pacific Courier armored van Feb. 3 when the van parked at Ala Moana Shopping Center. The van driver and Davis got out of the van, according to the charges. Davis hid a key near the van, and he and the driver walked away from the van, the charges said.
Two suspects wearing Spiderman masks got out of a car near the armored van, retrieved the key Davis left, opened a side door of the van and took bags containing about $400,000, the charges say.
The two suspects put the bags in the trunk of a silver Hyundai Elantra and drove off, the charges say.
One of the two suspects in the Elantra — identified by federal law enforcement officials as Landon Williams, 19, of Fort Shafter — was charged Thursday with conspiring with Davis and the other suspect to steal the money, the charges said.
First Hawaiian Bank said it lost about $409,000 from the armored van on Feb. 3.
A few days after the alleged theft, investigators located the escape vehicle parked less than half a mile from Davis’ residence. Davis was also found to be communicating with the person who had possession of the silver Elantra on the day of the theft.
Davis’ bank records show that he deposited over $30,000 in February and March.
The maximum punishment of theft of $1,000 or more by a bank officer or employee is $1 million and 30 years in prison.
The FBI and the Honolulu Police Department are investigating the case. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marshall Silverberg.