Woman falsely accused of bank robberies files lawsuit

SHELBY, N.C. — A woman once accused of a string of bank robberies nearly 20 years ago is now getting her day in court.

Jodi Blanton lived under the cloud of a bank robbery investigation in Cleveland County. A lawsuit was filed this week at the federal courthouse.

The Cleveland County sheriff said neither the investigator nor the sheriff’s office has been served with the lawsuit, but they’re aware of the allegations and plan to cooperate to uncover the truth.

A judge said the man who pursued her, longtime Shelby investigator Carl Duncan, misrepresented key evidence to get her indicted. Court records said he ignored eyewitness descriptions and inserted his own falsely blaming her for the crimes.

Last year, a judge dismissed all charges with prejudice.

A bank robber hit several banks, including First National and Alamance banks in Shelby, BB&T in Fallston between June 2005 and November 2005.

Carl Duncan with the Shelby Police Department was the lead investigator.

Both district attorneys at the time declined to prosecute Blanton because " everything was circumstantial."

In 2015, Duncan retired and joined the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office as a cold case investigator. His new bosses wanted him to look at Blanton again because of another bank robbery.

Blanton is a white woman with blonde hair, but according to court records, a judge agreed with her lawyers who claimed Duncan changed some things to get an indictment.

For example, they claimed, “He disregarded the eyewitness descriptions of the bank tellers and substituted his own perception as the bank robbers race and hair color.”

The tellers allegedly said the suspect was a light-skinned Afro American female with brown hair.

As a diversion, the robber allegedly made bomb threats at several stores and a school. Court records show that person was never identified as a man or a woman. However, Duncan identified the suspect as a woman.

During a hearing in 2024, Duncan was unable to provide a reasonable explanation as to why he made a sworn statement to a superior court judge that the person that made the bomb threat was a female.

This court dismissed the indictments against the defendant with prejudice.

In Blanton’s lawsuit, her attorneys claim that her civil rights were violated, because the investigator misrepresented material facts to the district attorney and to judicial officials.

Statement from the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office regarding allegations against investigator Carl Duncan:

“The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office is aware of recent media reports alleging that one of our deputies, Investigator Carl Duncan, engaged in conduct involving the omission, distortion, or falsification of information in an effort to implicate an individual in a crime.

“While certain media outlets have reported the filing of a lawsuit related to these allegations, it is important to clarify that neither Investigator Duncan nor the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office has been officially notified or served with any legal action as of this time.

“Given the serious nature of these claims, and in accordance with agency protocol, Investigator

“Duncan-who serves in a part-time capacity-has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately. This action is not a determination of wrongdoing but a necessary step to preserve the integrity of any ongoing review and to maintain public confidence while these matters are addressed.

“The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability. We will fully cooperate with any lawful inquiries or proceedings and will take appropriate action based on the facts and findings as they become available.

No further comment will be made at this time due to the potential for ongoing legal proceedings."

©2025 Cox Media Group