A man who robbed Great Southern Bank in Hattiesburg in July 2018 has been sentenced to 40 years in custody for armed robbery.
Twelfth Circuit Court Judge Jon Mark Weathers recently sentenced Tony Barnett to 40 years, with 30 years to be served in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. That will be followed by five years under the supervision of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
On July 23, 2018, Barnett held three employees of the bank, located at 5308 Old Highway 42, at gunpoint and fled with $6,094. Barnett was apprehended by Hattiesburg police later that evening in the 200 block of West Fifth Street and placed in custody at the Forrest County Jail.
Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted police with the subsequent investigation.
Barnett was found guilty of armed robbery on June 19 and brought back before the court last week for sentencing, when officials heard arguments from Barnett’s counsel, a statement from Barnett and testimony from victims of the crime.
