ATLANTA – A man who held a member of Georgia’s Own CU hostage, then forced employees at gunpoint to open the credit union vault before making off with $140,000 in cash during last March’s armed holdup, on Wednesday was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison.
Cepeda Broughton, 41, in September pleaded guilty to charges of armed bank robbery, use of a firearm during a crime of violence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Broughton went into the credit union’s Conyers branch around 3 p.m. on March 9. He brandished a handgun and pulled a member who was leaving the branch back into the building, before ordering the member and four employees into the back room. He forced one employee to bind the member and three other employees with duct tape, before forcing the employee to open the vault and put all the money in a bag he had brought with him.
Broughton then forced the employee to give him all the money from the teller drawers. Broughton tied up the fourth employee with duct tape and got away with $140,276.
Broughton fled the credit union parking lot in a GMC Denali that was later determined to be stolen. He jumped the curb because the credit union driveway had been blocked by a police vehicle. Broughton led several officers on a high speed chase, weaving in and out of traffic, and on one occasion jumping a median. The chase led to multiple accidents that resulted in damage to police and private citizens’ vehicles.
A police vehicle struck the Denali and forced it onto an embankment. Broughton then fled, turning and brandishing his handgun at the pursuing police. Police officers fired their service weapons at Broughton and pursued him behind an apartment complex. Police arrested Broughton near an apartment complex and auto parts store.
The stolen credit union cash was recovered from the Denali.
