Arkansas man sentenced to 10 years for robbing Oklahoma bank

HARRAH, Okla. (KNWA/KFTA) — An Arkansas man convicted of robbing an Oklahoma bank last year has been sentenced, according to federal court documents.

Brian Keith Mays, 58, was sentenced on June 30 to 10 years in prison with three years of supervised release for one count of committing armed bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He was found guilty of those charges on March 13.

On July 5, 2024, Mays walked into the FNB Bank inside a grocery store in Harrah, Okla., and waved a firearm, demanding money from a teller. A federal complaint said Mays left the bank with more than $12,000.

The complaint includes a text message exchange between Mays and another person in the minutes after the robbery.

“I did it… I can’t believe how easy it was. I did it,” Mays sent to the other person. “I took down a bank.”

FBI agents reviewed the footage from the bank and the grocery store, where they saw Mays flee the scene.

Location data traced Mays to the bank at the time of the robbery and a nearby Walmart after the incident. While at Walmart, Mays transferred around $3,000 to a person in Arkansas and was seen on surveillance video pulling cash to pay for an item.

A sentencing document filed on June 30 said that the court recommended Mays be incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Forrest City, Ark. Mays was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

FBI Oklahoma City and Fort Smith Field Offices, Harrah Police Department, Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma City Police Department investigated the case.

Arkansas court records show Mays has a criminal history in Sebastian County, including convictions for forgery, theft by deception, failure to appear, hot checks and drug-related charges dating back to 1989.