LAPLACE — The FBI New Orleans Field Office charged Byron Watson for his alleged involvement in two bank robberies in southeast Louisiana. Special Agent in Charge Bryan Vorndran announced the arrest and charging.

    The first robbery Watson is charged occurred on Sept. 10 at Total Choice Federal Credit Union, located at 100 Palmetto Drive in LaPlace. The second robbery Watson is charged occurred on Sept. 26 at Fidelity Bank, located at 9099 Jefferson Highway in Jefferson. During both robberies, Watson approached a teller and demanded money. After receiving an undisclosed amount, Watson fled in a white pickup truck.

    Watson, age 30 and a resident of Orleans Parish, was taken into custody without incident approximately 1:03 p.m. Sept. 27 in Orleans Parish through a cooperative effort between the FBI’s New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force (NOVCTF), Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office.

    Watson was transported to the St. Bernard Parish jail and charged with two counts of 18 U.S.C. 2113(a)—Bank Robbery.

   The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana is prosecuting this matter.

   The public is reminded that criminal complaints, such as this, contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

  The public can visit bankrobbers.fbi.gov for further information about suspects wanted for bank robbery.