Salem man sentenced to prison in federal bank robbery case

BENTON — A 61-year-old Salem man was sentenced Tuesday in Benton federal court to 8 years in prison for robbing a southern Illinois bank in Zeigler early last year.

county Morlan will also have to pay $3,100 in restitution for the single federal indictment charging him with bank robbery. Morlan remains in federal custody since the federal indictment was filed last May.

Prior to the federal indictment, he was in custody in Franklin County on charges of Class was in state custody at the Franklin County Jail. This case remained on hold pending the outcome of the federal trial. The 96-month sentence handed down Tuesday will be served concurrently with any sentence imposed in the Franklin County case if he is convicted.

Du Quoin police arrested Morlan the day after the bank robbery following a 911 call from Morlan with an apparent medical emergency. Morlan was taken to a local hospital before Zeigler Police Chief Ben Burkhamer picked him up from the hospital and took him to jail.

Morlan was allegedly identified by Marion County law enforcement after recognizing him in a bank surveillance photo.

A preliminary hearing in the Franklin County case remains scheduled for after the first of the year.