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Grand jury indicts Ashlander on bank heist charges By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings An Ashland man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for the robberies of two local banks. Nathaniel Bosworth, 19, pleaded not guilty Monday in federal court to a long list of charges stemming from the Nov. 19, 2002 robbery of the Klamath First Federal Bank on Walker Avenue and the Dec. 24, 2002 robbery of U.S. Bank on North Second Street. "It's been an ongoing investigation that's been happening since the day (the first robbery) occurred," Ashland Police Lt. Rich Walsh said this morning. "This is pretty unusual to have a local man (indicted). Usually in cases like this, it's someone from outside the area." Bosworth was first arraigned in federal court April 4, and has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, two counts of armed bank robbery, and two counts of carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, The maximum penalties for the charges are five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy charge, 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for armed bank robbery, and life in prison and a $250,000 fine for carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. Bosworth has been released on certain conditions, pending his June 10 trial in Medford, Walsh said, Police believe Bosworth to be the armed bank robber who entered the local branch of Klamath First Federal. In the Klamath First robbery, the suspect wore a full-face helmet and brandished a pistol. Coincidentally, the Klamath First robbery followed another robbery of Washington Mutual by a matter of hours. Authorities have consistently maintained that the two robberies are not otherwise connected. A few weeks later, a second robbery occurred at the local branch of US Bank. Again, the robber was armed, and wore a full-face helmet. That robbery led to a massive manhunt in the forests of the Ashland Watershed. Police managed to find a dirt bike they believe to be the escape vehicle, but little else. Bosworth is not a suspect in the series of other bank robberies in Oregon and Northern California. A suspect may have robbed as many as six banks, and while his face has been caught on videotape three times, he has thus far eluded police. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -