A Neshoba County man charged in a March bank robbery has pleaded guilty in federal court.

David Keith Frazier, 33, a member of the Mississippi Bank of Choctaw Indians, entered the plea Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

The plea comes after Frazier made threatening phone calls to two tribal elementary schools on March 19, according to a news release.

During these phone calls, Frazier threatened to use explosives to cause damage to both schools. The purpose of the calls was to cause law enforcement to respond to the schools and therefore to be away from the local bank Frazier planned on robbing, the news release said. 

Shortly after he made the calls, Frazier entered Trustmark National Bank, a bank on the Choctaw Indian Reservation. He was carrying an air pistol with the intent of making bank employees believe it was a real pistol.

By brandishing a dangerous weapon, Frazier threatened to hurt the bank’s employees if they did not give him money from the bank. His intimidating behavior caused the employees to give him the money, the news release said. 

After taking the money, Frazier fled and was caught by police a short time later. Officers found the rest of the money, along with the air gun, in the woods where Frazier had fled after the robbery. All of the money taken was recovered by law enforcement.

Frazier will be sentenced by Reeves on Jan. 8, 2020. He faces a maximum penalty of up to 25 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from numerous other state and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dave Fulcher.