Two Emmaus Bank Robbery Suspects Plead Not Guilty

Two men accused of robbing the Emmaus KNBT Bank at the end of last year pleaded not guilty during an arraignment this morning to eight associated charges including attempted criminal homicide, robbery and aggravated assault against a police officer.

Hishamu T. Curry, 35, of Philadelphia, and Anthony Maye, also known as Andre Sheppard, 32, of 446 E. Lexington St., Allentown pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The next step will be a "status conference," which was scheduled for May 26 at 9:30 a.m. in Lehigh County Court.

The third suspect, Isaah J. Sampson, 22, of 903 N. Front St., had a separate araignment scheduled. That will take place April 29 at 8:30 a.m.

All three have been identically charged because they participated in a conspiracy, Lehigh County Chief Deputy District Attorney Charles F. Gallagher III has said. Full charges against each are attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault against a police officer, three counts of robbery against the assistant bank manager and two tellers, conspiracy robbery, aggravated assault and person not to possess a firearm.

An arraignment is the process in which defendants are formally advised of their charges, informed of constitutional rights and expected to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.

At the next meeting, a status conference, the defendents will be asked if they want to change their plea, or if they are ready for trial.

The three allegedly robbed the KNBT Bank at 235 Main St. at 9:16 a.m. Dec. 30. Events included a pistol-whipped bank employee, 10 shots being fired at police as they chased the getaway car, a suspect being struck by a police car, a foot chase, a lockdown of an adjacent neighborhood and a multi-hour manhunt leading to the capture of a third suspect -- the likes of which the borough has never seen.

The three suspects are Isaah J. Sampson, 22, of 903 N. Front St., Allentown; Hishamu T. Curry, 35, of Philadelphia, and Anthony Maye, also known as Andre Sheppard, 32, of 446 E. Lexington St., Allentown.

The capture was aided by a bank patron who called police when seeing three masked figures entering the bank, according to testimony March 10 during a preliminary hearing held for Sampson. Testimony also revealed robbers made off with $13,000 from cash drawers, but employees were unable to open the vault.

Much of the dramatic detail of the robbery and subsequent arrests became publicly  during Sampson's March 10 preliminary hearing. Prosecution exhibits included bank surveillance tapes and police vehicle dashboard tapes that showed events as they unfolded, including the robbery, pistol-whipping, shots fired and a suspect being struck by a police car.

Sampson is represented by Mariana Rossman of Philadelphia, Curry by Eric Dowdle of Allentown and Maye by David Ritter of Emmaus. The three suspects are being held under $2 million bail each.