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GREENSBORO — All six members of a group that police call the most brazen bank robbery outfit to hit the city in recent memory will spend years in prison.

A Guilford County Superior Court jury found the last member of the group to face trial — 26-year-old Emmanuelle Dancy — guilty Friday night of five counts each of robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony conspiracy. Dancy’s sentencing is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday.

The group, dubbed the “Bluetooth Bandits,” terrorized employees of eight west Greensboro banks in a series of 10 robberies from the summer of 2006 through January 2008. In all, prosecutors said the group stole about $525,000.

The group received its name from the FBI because of the cellular telephone devices the robbers wore during the hold-ups.

Dancy’s trial, which lasted about three days, included 20 witnesses for the state .

In addition to investigators, Assistant District Attorney Bill Wood brought in bank tellers and employees who told of having guns shoved into their faces by masked bandits and being forced to empty money from teller drawers and vaults.

Three co-defendants , brothers Anthony and Eric Payne and Daniela Smith, also testified against Dancy as part of a plea deal. All three said that Dancy took part in numerous robberies with their assistance and under the direction of “Bluetooth” ringleader Christopher Collins and his girlfriend, Sabrina Phillips.

Collins, previously convicted of bank robbery in New York, and Phillips were described as orchestrators of the heists. Each heist involved a lookout parked near the bank who communicated with the robbers using Bluetooth phones.

In many cases, the group diverted police by placing fake 911 calls or creating other diversions to draw officers away from the bank robberies.

In Dancy’s trial, the state’s case rested on the testimony of the three co-defendants, who outlined Dancy’s role in five robberies.

Police had no other definitive evidence linking Dancy to the robberies, except surveillance photos of a suspect they were unable to identify until members of the group were arrested.

Dancy’s attorney, Tom Maddox, argued that the other robbers were out to put Dancy in prison because he was unemployed and failed to support the Payne brothers’ sister, Esther Payne, with whom Dancy had a baby.

Maddox criticized the state for relying on the testimony of people he called “three thieves that have lied time after time.”

That didn’t convince the jury, who found the testimony to be credible.

“The (verdict hinged on) testimony of the co-defendants and three (surveillance) pictures that looked like (Dancy),” said Erin Moyer, the jury forewoman.

“There was no reason these other people would implicate him. They had nothing to gain. It’s not like anyone got time served and got to go home. Everyone had something to lose in this case, unfortunately.”

Collins was convicted of 10 robberies and will spend at least 100 years in prison. Phillips, also convicted, will spend 24 years in prison.

The Payne brothers and Smith each face a minimum of four years in prison and will be sentenced at a later date.

Other than the remaining sentencing hearings, police are glad the “Bluetooth Bandit” cases are over.

“I’ve never seen a group stump us for so long and get so much money,” said Sgt. Gerald Stephens, head of Greensboro’s police robbery squad.

“I’ve never had a situation where they were so well planned and got away with it for so long.”

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