Suspected serial bank robber faces more charges

James Milton Earquahart, 50, of Raleigh, was charged Friday in two more robberies, bringing to seven the number of armed bank robberies he is accused of committing in Raleigh and Cary between last October and June.

Altogether, Earquahart faces seven counts of armed robbery; two counts of conspiracy to commit armed robbery; one count each of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and assault by pointing a gun; and various motor vehicle violations.

He was being held in the Wake County jail Saturday under a $3.5 million secured bond. He had court appearances set for Monday and Tuesday next week.

The new charges stem from the Oct. 23, 2009, robbery of a CVS store in Cary and the Oct. 27, 2009, robbery of a SunTrust bank in Raleigh.

Arrest warrants state that Earquahart threatened a female CVS clerk with a long-barrel shotgun, pointed a rifle at a female SunTrust bank teller and assaulted a man in the bank with a pistol.

Earquahart has also been charged in the following crimes:

Police have said that the violence escalated in each robbery. A handgun was fired at a person in the June 2 robbery, and a teller was assaulted during the Feb. 26 robbery, investigators said.

Police said that Crime Stoppers tips led to Earquahart's arrest on outstanding warrants from a June 8 traffic stop, then investigators searched his home and found evidence linking him to the robberies.

Investigators were checking with law enforcement agencies in North and South Carolina and Virginia to see if Earquahart might be connected to other crimes.