FBI investigating kidnapping of bank executive, family

It sounds like something out of a Hollywood script: A bank worker, his wife and young child are abducted by armed men, then he is forced by the perps to rob his employer while they bad guys keep his family for collateral.

FBI agents said Mr Harris was ordered to withdraw an undisclosed amount of money from the bank as his family were held hostage.

Reinhold asked anyone who witnessed the auto driving between the Rocky Hill area and SmartBank’s Cedar Bluff branch between 8 a.m. and 8:45 a.m., or between the bank and the Fox Road area between 8:45 a.m. and 9 a.m., to contact authorities.

Ed Reinhold, the FBI special agent in charge of the Knoxville office, said it’s possible the kidnappers are the same people who kidnapped a credit union CEO’s family three months ago. The masked robbers – armed with what was described as two handguns and a long gun – blindfolded and handcuffed Harris and his wife Abbey, The Knoxville News Sentinel reported. “We haven’t determined that positively, but it is a good possibility”. One was around 6 feet 1 to 6 feet 2 inches tall with a thin build. The other was around 5 feet 9 to 5 feet 10 inches tall with a stocky build. Both were wearing masks.

ABC News reports that it is still unclear how the man was able to obtain the money from the bank. He added the married couple and their young child were forced into their own auto, a silver Mazda 6, which the suspects then drove to the bank branch in Knoxville’s Cedar Bluff district.

FBI officials think there is a possibility Tuesday’s incident is related to one in April involving the CEO of Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge. They believe the Harris family was being watched for a while before today’s events. The employee was left behind at the bank and the robbers drove away with the woman and child in their vehicle. The robbers held the women’s families hostage, forcing them to clear out their vaults to ransom their husbands, children and, in one instance, elderly parents.