BENTON — A 38-year-old Alabama man has pleaded guilty in federal court to the August robbery of a Central City bank.

George David Treece was arrested August 26, after he entered the Farmers State Bank in Central City and demanded money from a bank teller.

After the teller removed the money from her drawer and placed it on the counter, Treece took the money and left. An alert Centralia police officer became suspicious of Treece’s vehicle spotting it a short time later. An attempted traffic stop resulted in a pursuit that ended in Treece’s arrest. Later that day, after being Mirandized, Treece admitted robbing the bank.

He faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine up to $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of not more than 5 years.

Treece will also have to pay restitution to the bank for its loss. Treece’s sentencing has been scheduled for March 21, 2017, in Benton. Treece has been held without bond since his arrest.

The case was investigated by the Central City Police Department, Centralia Police Department, Wamac Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.