A North Carolina truck driver with a criminal history has been slapped with federal charges after allegedly robbing a bank and engaging in a shootout with police, officials reported.
Willie Edward McGee Jr. faces charges of bank robbery and using a firearm during a violent crime, as outlined in a formal complaint.
Authorities allege that McGee stormed into a First Citizens Bank located in Zebulon, North Carolina, on December 26. He reportedly demanded cash from a bank teller, threatening he was in possession of C-4 explosives. The teller handed over $3,234, and McGee made his escape in a semi-truck, according to law enforcement.
A coordinated response from various law enforcement agencies led to McGee’s arrest in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, as part of an investigation into the armed bank robbery.
The Rocky Mount Police Department noted that McGee’s truck was discovered parked at a Hobby Lobby following the robbery incident.
Surveillance footage and officers at the location observed McGee allegedly emerging from his vehicle wielding a Ruger AR-style 5.56 rifle, which he used to fire at the responding officers.
Police returned fire and struck McGee. No law enforcement officers or civilians were injured. While taking McGee into custody, officers recovered the AR rifle he allegedly used to shoot at officers and a handgun from his waistband.
No officers or members of the public were injured as law enforcement safely took the suspect into custody after a coordinated response in Rocky Mount. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)
McGee, according to records reviewed by WRAL-News, has a lengthy criminal history. The local outlet said that the suspect has dozens of charges dating back more than 20 years.
WRAL reported that he has offenses spanning from Duplin, Wake and Durham counties.
Federal and local law enforcement recovered guns and evidence following the arrest of a suspect charged with armed bank robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the incident “domestic terror.”
“As alleged, this defendant didn’t just rob a bank — he threatened innocent civilians with explosives and then opened fire on police officers,” Blanche said. “That is not desperation, it is domestic terror. Thanks to the extraordinary courage and professionalism of our law enforcement partners, he is alive, in custody, and facing decades in federal prison.”
“Let this serve as a warning: if you bring violence into our communities or target the men and women who protect them, this Department of Justice will meet you with the full weight of the federal government and ensure you are removed from the streets for a very long time.”
The investigation remains active. Anyone with further information about the alleged crimes is asked to please call the FBI at (704) 672-6100. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, for comment.
