Swim to freedom fails as Arizona bank robbers get prison terms

KINGMAN, Ariz. -- Two bank-robbing brothers from Henderson who were arrested after swimming across the Colorado River during a chase will be sent to prison.

Thomas Leavy Jr., 40, and Kevin Leavy, 39, were arrested within 30 minutes of the Sept. 7 robbery of the Horizon Bank in Fort Mohave, Ariz. Their cases were resolved through separate plea agreements in Mohave County.

A pursuing law enforcement officer commandeered a personal watercraft to get to the Laughlin side of the river to arrest the pair. They were exhausted after trying to swim to freedom from the Arizona side in Bullhead City.

Authorities never recovered the $3,083 taken during the robbery, and the stolen loot is presumed to be somewhere in the river or along its banks.

Kevin Leavy pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery on Friday. Thomas Leavy pleaded guilty to the same charge using an Alford plea on Wednesday.

An Alford plea is used when a defendant maintains his innocence but concedes a likely conviction were the matter to be taken to trial.

Both men will receive 3½-year prison terms.

The deal entered Wednesday requires 2½ years more prison time for Thomas Leavy, who also pleaded guilty, in an Alford plea, to robbery charges for taking $6,727 from US Bank in Kingman eight days before the Horizon Bank robbery.

Thomas Leavy will be sentenced April 23, his brother April 9.