Man who allegedly took 11 CU employees hostage owed courts money

He could’ve just asked for a loan.

The man accused of taking 11 employees hostage at an Alabama credit union earlier this year as part of a robbery attempt reportedly did so in an attempt to pull together funds to pay court costs in a separate criminal case.

According to a recent report from the Tuscaloosa News, Cederick Lamar Collins has told police that he attempted to rob a branch of Alabama Credit Union on Jan. 10 in order to pay fines for another criminal case. In 2015 he was charged with rape and kidnapping, though the news report states that it is unclear whether his court fines were related to that case.

Collins faces nine counts of robbery and 11 counts of kidnapping, as well as one federal bank robbery charge and two federal hostage-taking charges. He is in federal custody.

On Jan. 10, Collins gained access to a Tuscaloosa branch of Alabama Credit Union, holding 11 employees hostage for more than two hours. The situation ended peacefully with no injuries or gunfire.

A photo from the January 2017 hostage scene at Alabama CU by Tuscaloosa News crime reporter Stephanie Taylor.

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Crime and misconduct Alabama
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