The man accused of gunning down a security guard during a bank robbery in East St. Louis was sentenced Tuesday to 50 years in a federal prison.
Jaylan Quinn, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of using a firearm to commit murder for shooting and killing security guard Ted Horn, 56, during the heist at First Bank, 350 River Park Drive, on Aug. 27, 2021.
In addition to 50 years in prison, a judge for the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Illinois ordered Quinn to serve an additional five years of supervised release and pay restitution of $7,280.
“Although this sentence won’t bring back Ted Horn, it’s a small sigh of relief that the man responsible for taking his life will spend the foreseeable future in federal prison for his crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Swift action by the FBI, the Illinois State Police and the East St. Louis Police Department led to this successful investigation, and I applaud their efforts to remove this dangerous, uncivilized criminal from society.”
Horn, a resident of St. Libory, grew up in Belleville and graduated from Belleville West High School. He had been a security guard at First Bank for about 11 years. He previously was stationed at the U. S. Attorney’s office in Fairview Heights for 14 years, according to his obituary.
Horn is survived by his wife of 35 years, Jana L. Horn, two adult sons, three grandchildren, and his mother, Rosalie Horn.
Jana Horn didn’t want to comment on the sentence or trial other than to say she’s relieved it’s behind her.
“I just really don’t want people to forget about who Ted was,” she said by telephone. “He was one of those people who would do anything for anybody. He was a quiet man, but he was a really funny man once you got to know him.
“Ted was a great father and a great husband. We were going on 36 years of marriage. You just don’t see that much anymore. But he was someone that I could always rely on.”
According to court documents, Quinn and an accomplice, Andrew R. Brinkley, 21, entered the bank wearing masks about 4 p.m. They approached a teller with a note that read: “I got a bomb strapped to my chest – Pull all the money in or everyone die.”
Horn attempted to stop the robbers, but Brinkley was able to push past him and head for the door.
Quinn struggled with Horn before drawing a semi-automatic handgun and shooting him in the head, the court records say. Quinn and Brinkley then fled in a white Lexus sedan. Horn was pronounced dead at the scene.
Quinn and Brinkley were identified through bank surveillance video. A St. Louis man also approached a police officer with a photo FBI had released from the bank video and identified one of the suspects as his son “Andrew.”
By 2 p.m. the next day, FBI agents arrested them both at Brinkley’s St. Louis apartment, the search of which led to the recovery of a 9mm handgun, and clothing that matched witness descriptions.
They also found two marked $20 bills taken during the First Bank robbery. A white Lexus sedan was found parked at the residence, the court records.
An Illinois State Police forensic lab later recovered Brinkley’s finger prints on the robbery demand note, the FBI affidavit said.
The robbery cost First Bank about $1,140, according to the FBI.
Surveillance video showed Quinn and Brinkley twice tried to enter Busey Bank in Fairmont City wearing masks the day before the fatal shooting, according to an FBI affidavit.
“Today’s significant sentence reflects the severity of Jaylan Quinn’s actions. And while it brings a conclusion to this case, the loss experienced by the family of Ted Horn will last a lifetime,” FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz said. “We hope that in some way today’s sentence provides a degree of comfort for the victim’s family.”
Brinkley was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Jan. 12, 2023. He was ordered to pay $7,280 in restitution and will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
The FBI-Springfield Field Office led the investigation with assistance from the Illinois State Police and the East St. Louis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Reppert and Ali Burns prosecuted the case.