A Marion man has been arrested in connection with Thursday morning’s armed robbery at the State Bank of Whittington on North Main in Benton.

Benton Police say 81-year-old Arthur W. Bays was taken into custody without incident Thursday afternoon at his home in the 1100 block of West Main in Marion. He is currently lodged in the Williamson County Jail pending federal charges.

Around 9:10 Thursday morning, Benton Police responded to the armed robbery at the bank where Bays – who was wearing glasses, a black and white ball cap, black jacket and blue jeans –  reportedly displayed a handgun in his waistband and demanded money from the bank teller. He took an undisclosed amount of money and left the scene in a silver Chevy Cruze. No injuries were reported.

A joint effort by the Benton, West City, West Frankfort and Marion Police Departments, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, FBI along with numerous tips called in by the public allowed for a swift resolution of the incident.