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GREENSBORO — Two brothers involved in the series of “Bluetooth Bandits” bank robberies testified Thursday that Emmanuelle Dancy robbed several Greensboro banks at gunpoint along with other members of the group.

Brothers Anthony and Eric Payne each told a Guilford County Superior Court jury that Dancy’s role in the robberies was extensive and involved robbing several banks with the group’s convicted ringleader Christopher Collins.

Dancy, 26, faces five counts each of robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony conspiracy. His trial this week is the last case involving the six “Bluetooth” suspects, who targeted several west Greensboro banks from summer 2006 though January 2008.

The brothers testified they knew Dancy through their half-brother, Collins, and because Dancy was dating their sister, Esther Payne, with whom Dancy had a baby.

Along with Collins, his girlfriend Sabrina Phillips and Dancy, the brothers each testified that they took part in several robberies.

In many of the cases, one of the Payne brothers drove Collins and Dancy to a bank and waited while they robbed it at gunpoint. Phillips parked nearby to watch for police and relay information to the robbers by cell phone.

The FBI dubbed the robbers the “Bluetooth Bandits” because of the cell phone devices they wore during the robberies.

Both brothers said they had talked by cell phone with Collins when he was in a bank as one of them sat as a driver in the getaway car.

The men pointed out Dancy in surveillance photos from  different robberies and said his clothing matched their memory of what he wore the days of the robberies.

Anthony Payne also testified he and Dancy robbed a Suntrust Bank on National Service Road together in October 2007.

Both brothers pleaded guilty in March to their roles in the robberies.

As part of a plea deal, they agreed to testify against Dancy. Their sentencing will come at a later date.

In cross-examinations, Dancy’s attorney, Tom Maddox, mentioned that Dancy was unemployed and not supporting the men’s sister and the child they had together.

He asked each man if it made them angry that Dancy was not pulling his weight. Both men denied being upset over the matter.

Maddox also brought up each brother’s plea agreement with the prosecution and questioned if they were testifying to “save a lot of years” in prison.

Other testimony came from several employees of the banks, along with police forensic examiners and the lead detective on the case.

Testimony is to resume at 9:30 a.m. today.
 

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com