'Robbing brothers' sentenced

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) - Jonathan Covington, 20, pleaded guilty in the 368th District Court to two counts of aggravated robbery.

Judge Burt Carnes convicted Covington of those crimes and sentenced him to concurrent sentences of 30 years in prison.

On Aug. 10, 2008, Covington and his older brother Jimmie, 22, robbed Jose Bernal at gunpoint as he attempted to make a night deposit from business receipts at Bank of America in Round Rock. Round Rock police found a fingerprint on Bernal's car, later identified as Jonathon Covington's.

On Aug. 25, 2008, both brothers robbed Meghan Gibson at gunpoint as she made a night deposit from business receipts at Bank of America in Round Rock. They did not get money, however, as Gibson had already put the money in the night deposit box. Gibson recorded the license plate from the getaway vehicle, and Round Rock police traced it to Jimmie.

When Jimmie was arrested on Sept. 5, 2008, he confessed that he had committed the crimes - and other robberies in Travis County - along with his brother Jonathan.

Jonathan was a fugitive until Nov. 25, 2008, when he was arrested by Austin police officers after being found in possession of cocaine. He attempted to escape but was caught after a short, foot pursuit. Jonathan has been on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Top Ten List and was wanted for several felonies, including aggravated robbery, reckless endangerment with a firearm, coercion of a witness and felony-probation violations.

He had previously been convicted for several felony crimes but had been placed on probation for all of those offenses and had never been confined in prison. Jimmie Covington has pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and awaits sentencing. Both brothers must serve at least half of their sentences before they are eligible for parole and still face additional charges in Travis County.