Bank robbery suspect to face second charge

Spokane County sheriff’s detectives announced Tuesday that they will seek a second bank robbery charge against a double-amputee who was arrested Monday on suspicion of robbing a Spokane Valley bank.

A District Court commissioner Tuesday set bail at $200,000 for Joe Allen Brown Jr., 42, in connection with Monday morning’s robbery of the Farmers & Merchants bank at 509 N. Sullivan Road.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Reagan said deputies plan to seek an additional first-degree robbery charge against Brown for the Nov. 20 robbery of the Wells Fargo bank in the Safeway store at 14020 E. Sprague Ave.

In addition, Spokane police suspect Brown in the Nov. 22 robbery of the Wells Fargo bank branch in the Safeway store at 1616 W. Northwest Blvd. A woman who accompanied that robber said his name was Jay or Joe Brown, and he had two artificial legs.

Until Brown was arrested, Spokane police had considered Charles David West, 43, a possible suspect. West has one artificial leg and was arrested Nov. 27 after he allegedly robbed the Farmers & Merchants bank in the Safeway store at 933 E. Mission Ave.

West was released March 15 from a federal prison where he had been serving a 5 1/4- to 6 1/2-year sentence for robbing the US Bank in the Albertsons store at 1304 N. Liberty Lake Road in January 2000. He now faces a possible federal probation violation charge.

Reagan said detectives are still investigating Brown’s criminal history, but he was convicted of first-degree child molestation in Clallam County in 2001 and now is wanted for failure to report to his probation officer.