CLEVELAND, Ohio — A trial date of Monday, Feb. 29 has been set for the KeyBank hostage style robbery case that took place last autumn in Ontario.
During a pretrial hearing last Tuesday, the U.S. District Court in Cleveland approved that trial date. Two men, Taylor Crisman, 18, and Chris Hill, 23 are defendants in the case.
“I filed a motion to declare a complex case because of what was found in discovery,” Taylor Crisman’s attorney Larry Whitney said. “So we basically have asked the court to continue the trial and to give us more time to prepare.”
Whitney declined to comment on what evidence was found during the discovery process.
According to court files, Linda Barr from the U.S. Attorney’s Office was appointed as lead attorney representing the United States.
Crisman pled not guilty earlier in January to 12 felonious counts in connection with the case. Hill, represented by Cleveland attorney Fernando Mack, faces three felonious counts — one for a bank robbery and incidental crimes and two counts of bank robbery, according to court files.
Both Barr and Mack were unavailable for comment.
Crisman and Hill were arrested Dec. 2 in Galion at a Circle K gas station after a month-long investigation led by the Cleveland FBI and other local law enforcement agencies.
On Nov. 5, Brian McConnell said he came home to find his wife and two children held hostage at gunpoint. According to an FBI press release, the hostage scenario lasted until the next morning when McConnell was forced to drive to the bank and bring back between $100,000 and $200,000.
According to authorities, the family was held at the home as McConnell drove to the bank.
According to an FBI press release, evidence was obtained at various locations where the two individuals recently resided, including a fedora hat and bandanna believed to be worn by Crisman while he held the family hostage. Authorities also recovered a .38 caliber handgun believed to be used by Crisman.
