A Vicksburg man was charged this morning with robbing the Regions Bank on East Clay Street Monday, but the undisclosed amount of missing money has yet to be recovered, said Vicksburg Police Sgt. Sandra Williams.

Michael Watkins, 23, 1780 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., was taken into custody by police at 12:14 p.m. Monday, just three hours after the bank was robbed, said Williams. Watkins, who was walking on Feld Street near his residence when arrested, was held overnight, Williams said, for questioning and investigation.

Without providing specific details, Williams said police were led to Watkins by evidence left at the bank. “It didn’t have his name on it, but there was some evidence left behind at the bank that led us to him,” she said.

Police allege Watkins walked into the bank at 4140 E. Clay St. around 9:20 Monday morning and gave a teller a note demanding money, then fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.

When officers initially arrived at Watkins’ home around 11 a.m., they found Christopher Jones, 26, 1900 Baldwin Ferry Road, 3F, who was taken into custody and questioned. Jones was arrested on a separate charge of possession of counterfeit instruments, but Williams said he has not been charged in the robbery.

Williams described Jones and Watkins as acquaintances and said police are still investigating their possible connection in the bank robbery.

Watkins was being held without bond in the Warren County Jail, and Jones was being held without bond in Issaquena.

Both Watkins and Jones have previous felony convictions for forgery, according to records provided by the Warren County District Attorney’s Office. Watkins was sentenced on a forgery charge on March 31, 2008, to two years in prison, no time served, and two years of supervised probation. Jones was sentenced on a separate charge in October 2007 to five years, no time served, and two years of probation.

Monday’s robbery was the second in Vicksburg this year. No arrest has been made in the first, which occurred on Feb. 13 at Trustmark Bank’s main office at Washington and Clay streets.

Four bank robberies were reported in Vicksburg and Warren County during 2008, with arrests being made in all but one robbery.

Regions operates three offices in Vicksburg.

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com..