On June 11, 2021, a violent armed robbery occurred at the First Midwest Bank located at 1975 West Ridge Road in Gary, Indiana, resulting in the tragic death of 55-year-old Richard 'Ricky' A. Castellana. A resident of Tinley Park, Illinois, Castellana was working as a security guard at the branch following a distinguished 35-year career as a Cook County Sheriff’s Deputy, from which he had retired in 2019.
Shortly after 1:15 p.m., Castellana was ambushed outside the bank by two armed assailants who were part of a coordinated heist. As he patrolled the exterior, he was fatally shot before the robbers proceeded to storm the bank, seizing approximately $9,000 in cash.
The investigation quickly identified the attack as a planned operation driven by the financial desperation of a local semi-professional football team owner. The shooter was identified as Hailey Gist-Holden, a 26-year-old from Gary who owned the 'Illini Panthers' football team. Prosecutors revealed that Gist-Holden orchestrated the robbery to cover mounting expenses for his team, including player salaries and hotel bills. He enlisted the help of his players, including 24-year-old James A. King of Miami, Florida, and Kenyon Hawkins. Surveillance footage captured the ambush, showing Gist-Holden wielding a rifle and King carrying a handgun.
Law enforcement responded rapidly to the scene, apprehending King in a wooded area near the bank shortly after the crime. A backpack containing the stolen money and a handgun was recovered nearby. Gist-Holden managed to flee the state but was tracked down a week later in Georgia. On June 18, 2021, he was arrested near Valdosta after leading police on a high-speed chase that reached speeds of 140 mph. In addition to Gist-Holden and King, two other accomplices were charged in connection with the crime: Kenyon Hawkins and Briana White, both of whom later pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy.
The legal proceedings resulted in significant sentences for the primary perpetrators. James A. King pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery and murder resulting from the discharge of a firearm, receiving a 16-year prison sentence in November 2023. The court acknowledged his cooperation and the manipulative influence Gist-Holden held over him. Hailey Gist-Holden, who was convicted by a federal jury of armed robbery and murder, was sentenced in April 2023 to two consecutive life terms in prison, ensuring he would spend the rest of his life behind bars for the senseless killing of the beloved former deputy.
