Little Rock, Arkansas – A Tennessee man who carried out a series of armed bank robberies across Arkansas and Mississippi within a three-month period has been sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison after admitting to the crimes.
According to federal prosecutors, 37-year-old Freddy Najil of Memphis, Tennessee, received a sentence of 211 months in prison after pleading guilty to bank robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentence was announced by Jonathan D. Ross and imposed by Kristine G. Baker.
In addition to the prison term, Najil was ordered to serve three years of supervised release once he completes his sentence. Federal authorities noted that there is no parole in the federal prison system.
Robberies stretched across two states
The case involved three separate armed robberies that took place between February and May 2024.
The first robbery occurred on February 9, 2024, when officers with the Horn Lake Police Department responded to a robbery at a Renasant Bank branch in Mississippi. Investigators said witnesses and security video showed Najil pointing a firearm at four employees while demanding money. He escaped with approximately $2,724.
Just over two months later, on April 18, 2024, officers in Southaven, Mississippi, responded to another armed bank robbery, this time at Securtrust Bank. Authorities said Najil pointed a firearm at a bank teller and warned her “not to do anything stupid” before taking $12,251 and fleeing the scene.
The third and largest robbery happened on May 3, 2024, at an Evolve Bank branch in West Memphis, Arkansas. Prosecutors said Najil entered the bank armed with a gun, threatened employees, demanded cash, and escaped with $22,251.
What Najil reportedly did not know was that some of the money contained hidden GPS tracking devices. Those devices allowed investigators to quickly monitor his movements after he fled.
GPS devices help police track suspect
After leaving the West Memphis bank, Najil drove away in a black Infiniti GS3. West Memphis police officers and Arkansas State Police troopers soon began pursuing the vehicle as it crossed into Memphis.
The chase eventually ended when the vehicle crashed. Authorities said Najil then abandoned the vehicle and ran away on foot.
During the pursuit, money reportedly flew from his arms as he attempted to escape. Officers quickly closed in and arrested him nearby.
Investigators recovered loose cash and a .40-caliber pistol near the location where Najil was taken into custody. Authorities also recovered approximately $22,134 of the stolen currency from the robbery.
Following his arrest, Najil waived his rights and participated in post-Miranda interviews with investigators. During those interviews, he admitted responsibility for all three robberies in Horn Lake, Southaven, and West Memphis.
He also confessed to stealing the vehicle used during the West Memphis robbery before carrying out the crime.
Extensive criminal history led to enhanced punishment
Federal prosecutors said Najil’s criminal record played a major role in the sentence he received.
Court records showed that he qualified as an armed career criminal because of numerous prior convictions involving violent crimes and serious drug offenses.
His criminal history included eight convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon and six convictions for second-degree kidnapping. He also had previous convictions involving cocaine and marijuana possession with intent to sell or deliver, as well as another cocaine possession conviction.
Because of that lengthy record, federal sentencing laws allowed for enhanced penalties.
The criminal case involved cooperation between numerous law enforcement agencies. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation field offices in Little Rock and Jackson, with assistance from the Horn Lake Police Department, Southaven Police Department, Memphis Police Department, Arkansas State Police, and the West Memphis Police Department.
Federal prosecutors from both Arkansas and Mississippi handled the case after charges were filed in separate federal districts. Najil was first charged in Arkansas in June 2024 with bank robbery and firearm offenses. A separate federal indictment followed in Mississippi in March 2025, charging him with additional robbery and firearm crimes connected to the other bank robberies.
On May 9, 2025, Najil agreed to have the Mississippi case transferred to Arkansas for plea and sentencing proceedings. He formally pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025.
The sentence closes a case that began with three armed robberies spread across two states and ended with a cross-state investigation that used witness accounts, surveillance footage, GPS tracking technology, and Najil’s own admissions to secure a conviction.
