Montgomery County prosecutors file charges against bank robbery suspects

Montgomery County officials have filed charges against two robbery suspects, accused of robbing the Martinsburg Bank and Trust Wednesday afternoon. The third suspect was found dead in a Montgomery City home.

According to officials, David Franklin, Cecil Gold, and Wade Sargent escaped from the Department of Corrections-Community Supervision Center in Fulton Wednesday. Officials say they then stole car from a private residence in the 6000 block of State Road UU, just east of Fulton, and drove to Martinsburg where they robbed the Martinsburg Bank & Trust.

Officials say the three suspects were spotted by Montgomery City law enforcement who attempted to stop them. The suspects fled and led officers on a chase for about an hour. The chase ended when the suspects crashed into a home. Franklin and Gold were caught by officers and Sargent went into a nearby unoccupied home.

Charges in Callaway and Audrain counties are still pending for both Franklin and Gold.

Sargent’s body was found a few hours later by the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s SWAT team. Officials say his death due to an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

According to officials, Sargent was at the halfway house for his involvement in a bank robbery back in November 2011. According to reports, Sargent gave a teller at the Jonesburg State Bank in Jonesburg a note demanding money. Federal agents arrested Sargent a few days later for the robbery.