Man Accused in 3 N.C. Bank Heists, Others in Ohio, W.Va.

HOPE MILLS, N.C. — A man arrested after a bank robbery and a car accident Wednesday morning turned out to be the suspect in bank heists Monday in Pinebluff and Raeford and apparently is wanted in two other states, Hope Mills Police Chief John Hodges said.

Terry Ira Nichols, whom Hodges said is from Ohio, was arrested at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, where he had been taken for treatment following an accident on Interstate 95. The accident happened shortly after a robbery at the Lumbee Guaranty Bank in Hope Mills.

Police saw that Nichols' pants were ink-stained, which can come from dye packs that banks sometimes use to mark robbers. Police then found out that Nichols matched the description of a middle-aged white man in a denim jacket who had robbed banks in Moore and Hoke counties, Hodges said in a statement.

A computer check revealed warrants on robbery-related charges had been filed for Nichols in Ohio and West Virgina, Hodges said.

Police said Nichols would be held at the hospital overnight for observation.