Chicago man accused of first-degree robbery now behind bars

IOWA CITY - A 21-year-old Chicago man accused of participating in an armed robbery in Coralville two years ago is behind bars, Johnson County Sheriff's Office reports indicate.

A criminal complaint accuses Jimmy Powell Jr. of being one of three people who entered the residence at 708 18th Ave. while armed with an automatic handgun on Aug. 28, 2009. All three had scarves covering their faces, the complaint said, and they pointed the weapon at the home's occupants and demanded money.

Officers tracked the suspects using a K-9 unit and recovered a knife and a scarf. According to the complaint, the victims identified the scarf as having been worn by one of the robbers, and testing found that Powell's DNA was present on it.

Powell was being held at the Johnson County Jail on a $75,000 bond Sunday morning. No details were available on his arrest.