Cedar Rapids couple charged in last month’s U.S. Bank robbery

A Cedar Rapids man and woman charged in the June 26 robbery of a U.S. Bank will be tried Sept. 22 in federal court.

Javon Dockery, 29, is charged with one count each of bank robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime and Bria Daudinot, 21, is charged with one count of bank robbery. The two have pleaded not guilty and are being held without bond in U.S. District Court.

According to the criminal complaint, on June 26, Dockery, armed with a semi-automatic handgun, entered the U.S. Bank, 129 16th Ave. SW, and demanded money from two tellers. Dockery, wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses and surgical mask and gloves, pointed the handgun within six to 12 inches from one of the teller's face, while demanding the money. He told the second teller to 'hurry up” as the other teller saw Dockery slide his finger from the side of the handgun toward the trigger.

During the robbery, Dockery also told the tellers, 'Put your hands in the air,” and 'Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you, sweetie,” according to an affidavit for the complaint. Dockery also ordered two female customers onto the floor.

Dockery left the bank with about $10,300 in cash, including multiple 'bait” bills, which he put into a white pillow case, according to the complaint.

Cedar Rapids police later identified the suspects' van, driven by Daudinot who led them on a chase, and when the van crossed a Cedar River bridge, an officer saw one of the suspects toss out a gun into the river, according to the court documents. Later, a magazine was recovered from the gun on the roadway with live rounds in it.

The van eventually crashed and the suspects were taken into custody, according to court documents. Dockery had a large amount of cash and a surgical mask in his jeans, which he was wearing during the robbery. Officers saw Daudinot throwing cash as she was being chased and also had cash on her when she was taken in custody.

According to the court documents, Dockery admitted he was armed during the robbery and that he threw the gun from the van. He also said he told Daudinot he was going to rob someone for money earlier in the day and told her to meet him in the alley behind the bank.

Daudinot denied knowing anything about robbing a bank, according to the documents. She said she dropped off Dockery in the area to look for apartments and denied seeing a firearm or money in the van.

According to a pretrial detention order for Daudinot, officers seized her cellphone that contained three photos which implicate Dockery and Daudinot in another bank robbery on May 29. The photos show Dockery and Daudinot holding stacks of bills and Daudinot holding a young child, who is holding a stack of money If convicted on all charges, Dockery faces 7 to life in prison and a $500,000 fine. Daudinot, if convicted, faces up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine.