A man charged with robbing a convenience store in the Hilltop area of Greenville as well as Trustmark Bank of Georgiana has been sentenced.

Kelvin Golden, 32, of Evergreen, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for armed robbery, as well as five years of supervised release upon the completion of his sentence.

On March 20, 2017, Golden entered Trustmark Bank of Georgiana, approached the teller and pointed a handgun at her while demanding a large sum of money. He escaped with more than $10,000.

Law enforcement, along with the help of K-9 units, tracked Golden to a few miles west of the bank on Highway 106, where he was apparently picked up by a vehicle.

Though that search dead-ended, an anonymous tip later positively identified Golden, and Georgiana Police Department chief Carlton Cook reached out to the FBI with the information received.

Barely two weeks later, Golden entered the Hilltop Food Mart in Greenville on April 4, 2017, and demanded money while pointed a handgun at the clerk. He would escape with nearly $900.

Golden’s spree ended in Pensacola, Fla., where U.S. Marshals apprehended him.  He confessed to both robberies.

“I would like to thank all of our law enforcement partners for assisting in this investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting the case,” Cook said.

“I would also like to thank Crime Stoppers for their assistance.  If not for the tip we received from them, this investigation would have taken a lot more time and resources. The individual who provided the tip did a great service for our community, and I am grateful that the community was patient while this case was being investigated.”

Greenville Police Department chief Justin Lovvorn also expressed thanks to the various agencies involved in Golden’s arrest.

“This was a very dangerous individual who was committing violent felonies in multiple communities,” Lovvorn said.

“The public is safe with him off the streets.”