From Trussville Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM — Zachary Edwards and Ralphel Edwards each entered not guilty pleas this morning in federal court Thursday morning.
Zachary Edwards and Raphel Dilligard of Birmingham were charged with the incident involving a suspicious explosive package found at Magnolia Elementary in Trussville.
Photo via the Trussville Police Department
A four-count indictment filed Jan. 25 in U.S. District Court charges Zachary Edwards, 35, Ralphel Maurie Edwards, 34, with conspiring in November to take money from a BBVA Compass Bank in Trussville by “force, violence, and intimidation.” The two are accused of placing a hoax bomb at Magnolia Elementary School in Trussville to divert police away from the banks.
The indictment also charges Zachary Edwards with conspiring to carry a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm – a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun.
Two additional persons were indicted in the case as well last week.
Both Zachary Edwards and Ralphel Edwards were appointed counsel by the court, and taken into custody by U.S. Marshals following the arraignment.
