Four East Texans have been charged in connection with a violent bank robbery in Newton County in June.

U.S. Attorney John M. Bales says that 24-year old Keith Collins, Jr. of Jasper, 20-year old Michael Dwayne Byerly of Newton, 21-year old Xavier Odarius Clark of Jasper and 20-year old Khadijah Joy De’Inn Adams of Bon Weir were indicted by a grand jury yesterday and charged with federal violations.

According to the indictment, during the June 25 robbery of Sabine State Bank & Trust in Burkeville, a bank employee was stabbed multiple times sustaining injuries when confronted by a man as the employee returned to turn off a light that had been left on in the bank.

A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging Collins, Byerly, and Clark with bank robbery, conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and accessory after the fact.

Adams was also charged with accessory after the fact.