Wilbourn said uncle talked him into 2005 bank robbery
Tremaine Wilbourn, the man suspected of shooting and killing a Memphis police officer over the weekend, pleaded guilty in 2006 to robbing a bank in Covington, Tennessee, a year earlier.
But according to court documents, Wilbourn, who was 19 at the time of the bank robbery, said he was coerced into the crime by his uncle, Adam Mackey.
“Mr. Wilbourn hopes to show to the court that when he was persuaded by his uncle to join in the robbery, he was awaiting news regarding a possible college scholarship based upon his athletic ability,” Wilbourn’s defense attorney
said in court documents. “His uncle and co-defendant used his authority as an older adult to persuade Mr. Wilbourn to leave home and participate in the robbery in order to help Mr. Mackey with his financial difficulties.”
Wilbourn was “the follower” and Mackey, his uncle, was “the leader,” Wilbourn’s attorney, April Goode, said in court documents. She asked the court to consider that when sentencing her client in the robbery where, according to the plea agreement, Wilbourn and his uncle stole $2,000 from the bank.
But The Covington Leader had reported at the time that Wilbourn and Mackey stole $100,000 from the bank. The duo’s plans quickly went awry, however, when the stolen Toyota they had planned to use for the getaway car wouldn’t start, forcing the two to run with the cash.
Wilbourn was caught within minutes of the robbery, the newspaper reported; Mackey eluded police for four hours before authorities captured him in the woods.
Wilbourn’s attorney asked the court for leniency for her client, citing the fact that his uncle talked him into the robbery, according to court records.
“This would be 84 months, more than enough to provide just and adequate punishment, and enough to allow the defendant to obtain schooling while incarcerated, and to be ready to lead a law-abiding life upon release,” the federal public defender said in court records.
In May 25, 2006, Wilbourn was sentenced to 121 months or 10 years in prison with three years of supervised release.
He was assigned to the federal prison in Forrest City, Arkansas. He was released from prison on July 1, 2014.
As part of his supervised release, Wilbourn was ordered by his probation officer to participate in mental health treatment.
On June 25, Wilbourn waived his right to a hearing and signed a document agreeing to arrange his treatment, according to court documents.
A month later, on July 7, a judge officially made the change on Wilbourn’s probation terms to require him to seek mental health treatment.
According to the warrant for his arrest, Wilbourn violated his probation by testing positive for marijuana on Dec. 22, 2014.
On Sunday, Memphis police issued a first-degree murder warrant for Wilbourn in the shooting death of 33-yearold Officer Sean Bolton on Saturday. On Monday, a federal judge signed an order revoking his three-year probation.
Also Monday, as the search for Wilbourn continued, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation added Wilbourn to the state’s Top Ten Most Wanted list. He turned himself in later Monday afternoon.