National Iron Bank robbers sentenced

CORNWALL — It was just about a year ago that a botched bank robbery in Cornwall Bridge led to the arrest of two area residents.

Jason Durant, 33,  was accused of wielding a BB gun in an attempt to rob the National Iron Bank on Route 4 last April 28.

He fled the bank with a bag loaded with about $9,000. He had planned to scramble down an embankment behind the bank to where a friend, Crystal Eyler, of Sharon, was waiting in a rental car.

All did not go as planned, and the pair was arrested the next day. They have both been incarcerated since, unable to post large bonds.

Both pled guilty to robbery, larceny and other charges.

On March 26, Durant was sentenced to 10 years, suspended after five years served and three years probation. He admitted in court to heroin addiction and was ordered to receive addiction counseling, submit to random testing and have no contact with Eyler.

Eyler, now 28, was sentenced April 9 to a seven-year sentence, suspended after one year served, as well as three years probation and counseling.

On the day of the robbery, Durant fell down the embankment, breaking his ankle and losing all but $2 of the stolen cash.

He crawled to the getaway car, parked on Brook Road. Eyler drove him to New Milford Hospital.

While the two were at the hospital, state police had the car towed. They waited to make the arrests until later that night, correctly anticipating that the couple would head back to the embankment to retrieve the lost money. They hitched a ride from someone at the hospital, allegedly saying they were looking for Durant’s lost shoe.

But police had already retrieved the money and gun. The pair was arrested.

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