KNBT Bank Robbery Suspects to Face Judge

The preliminary hearing for is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Feb. 17, in Central Court in Allentown.

A preliminary hearing is a proceeding to determine whether there is enough evidence to send it to higher court for trial.

The proceeding was first set for Jan. 28 but was postponed after Lehigh County prosecutor Charles F. Gallagher III filed against the trio charged in the Dec. 30 robbery of the KNBT Bank at 235 Main St.

The three charged are Hishamu T. Curry, 35, of Philadelphia; Edward Anthony Maye, also known as Andre Sheppard, 32, of 446 E. Lexington St., Allentown; and Isaah J. Sampson, 22, of 903 N. Front St., Allentown.

The three were first charged with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery in the bank holdup. They also are charged as former felons not to possess firearms, Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin has said.

The charges, however, varied for the three suspects, but included attempted criminal homicide, robbery and aggravated assault based on which suspect was accused of committing an individual crime. But the charges have been amended so that they are uniform for the three suspects. The action was taken, Gallagher said, because the crime was a conspiracy, and all participants are considered equally culpable under the law.

They allegedly robbed the bank about 9:20 a.m., getting $11,600, pistol-whipping an assistant manager and firing 10 shots at police, District Attorney James Martin has said. Two quickly were captured by Emmaus police, but a third was on the loose until captured that evening in Allentown. The robbery and resulting manhunt brought events not seen in Emmaus in recent memory, including a lockdown of the surrounding area to keep residents safe.