The St. Louis-area man and woman accused of robbing an Altamont bank last month have been charged with a similar crime in Madison County, according to published reports.
The Alton Telegraph newspaper reported recently that Altonio G. Graves, 37, of Florissant, Mo. and Annalise S. McGhee, 26, of St. Louis have been formally charged in Madison County with one count each of aggravated robbery and financial institution robbery in connection with a Feb. 11 heist at a credit union in Alton.
Graves and McGhee were arrested shortly after a Feb. 26 robbery at Peoples Bank & Trust in Altamont. The duo were arrested after a high-speed chase on Interstate 70 between Vandalia and Greenville, police said. They were later charged with one count of aggravated robbery.
Both suspects are scheduled to appear at preliminary hearings in Effingham County later this month. However, the two may be indicted after an Effingham County grand jury meets today, negating the need for the preliminary hearings. A grand jury indictment makes a preliminary hearing unnecessary because police must show a grand jury the same level of evidence that they would during a preliminary hearing to hold a suspect for trial.
Effingham County deputies served Madison County warrants on both Graves and McGhee Monday. Both remain jailed locally in lieu of $500,000 bond.
An Alton detective told The Telegraph that police asked for the warrants after noting similarities between the Alton and Altamont heists.
Phone calls to Alton police were not immediately returned Tuesday.
