Guilty verdict, 24-year sentence, for Lima bank robber

By: J Swygart

LIMA — Jurors in the bank robbery trial of Brandon Allen Sr. on Thursday returned a guilty verdict against the Lima man after a brief deliberation.

Allen, 38, was charged with robbing the Union Bank at 1410 Bellefontaine Avenue on March 8, 2022. The first-degree felony count included a three-year specification for the use of a firearm. Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey Reed immediately sentenced Allen to a mandatory prison sentence of at least 24 years, a term enhanced due the Lima man’s designation as a repeat violent offender based on previous convictions.

The quick verdict came after the jurists spent the bulk of the day Thursday watching hours of surveillance video as the state wrapped up its case. Prosecutors said videos taken from businesses surrounding the Lima bank showed a 2013 Ford Edge with distinctive features — a vehicle identical to one owned by Allen — in the vicinity of the bank immediately prior to and following the robbery.