Authorities in Florida say they were able to thwart a trio of would-be armored bank truck robbers with deadly intentions after an informant advised federal agents of a plot that was reportedly two years in the making.
According to USA Today, the three suspects were arrested on Feb. 20, just hours before the heist was supposed to begin.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said the disturbing details that emerged from the investigation made it clear that the suspects needed to be stopped before someone was killed.
He said the trio seemed to be planning for “witness elimination,” with one suspect allegedly announcing his plan to kill one of the armored truck drivers.
“We obviously had a profound amount of fear that this case could have resulted in violence,” Snyder told reporters.
According to a federal affidavit, the plan involved robbing two armored trucks and killing the drivers.
Daryl “Doo-Doo” Canady, Alger Lee Ellison and Martiavius Leon “Man” Williams were reportedly arrested during a takedown organized by multiple agencies in response to information gathered about the alleged plot.
Their arrests took place along Interstate 95 in Martin County. Authorities prepared for the encounter by closing a portion of the road early on the morning of the special operation.
Snyder said his team used to tools available to the agency in staging a textbook takedown that ended with the three suspects surrendering to officers.
“It was our SWAT team, our special operators, our armored personnel carrier, our helicopter and our stop sticks, which we were ready to deploy, that ultimately concluded in the successful arrest with no injuries to anybody,” he said.
The sheriff went on to express gratitude to the other federal, state and local agencies involved in the operation.
Less than a week before their arrest, police say the three suspects conducted a “dry run” of the crime.
All three remained in federal custody as of the latest reports available.
[Featured image: Martin County Sheriff’s Department video screenshot]
