Third Man Pleads Not Guilty in Emmaus Bank Heist

The third man accused in a dramatic Dec. 30 bank robbery in Emmaus entered a formal not-guilty plea this morning in Lehigh County Court.

Isaah J. Sampson, 22, entered his plea during an arraignment. His two alleged accomplices, Hishamu T. Curry, 35, of Philadelphia, and Edward Anthony Maye, also known as Andre Sheppard, 32, of 446 E. Lexington St., Allentown, pleaded not guilty March 25 during their arraignments.

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.

Curry and Maye waived their preliminary hearings earlier this year, but many graphic details of the robbery were made public during Sampson's March 11 preliminary hearing.

Gallagher presented bank surveillance videos that showed three men robbing the bank at 235 Main St. at 9:16 a.m. Images included the pistol-whipping of Assistant Branch Manager Michelle Andrews and guns being displayed.

Other presented evidence included dashboard camera videos of the get-away chase that included gunshots hitting a police cruiser and a cruiser striking one of the alleged bank robbers.

Events brought assistance by officers from several departments. Two suspects soon were captured near Kline's Lane, but a third, allegedly Curry, was not arrested until several hours later in Allentown, touching off a manhunt and lockdown of the neighborhood.

The robbers got away with about $13,000, according to testimony.

Sampson's attorney, Mariana Rossman of Philadelphia, essentially argued during the preliminary hearing that the prosecution had the wrong man. However, Senior District Judge John Dugan ruled that there was enough evidence to send all charges against Sampson to trial.

Today's arraignment is the next step in moving toward a trial. 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.

The next proceeding for Sampson is expected to be pre-trial motions on June 20.

All three suspects remain in Lehigh County Prison awaiting trial on $2 million bail each.