A former Effingham County reporter was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday for an attempted bank robbery in Savannah last month, U.S. Attorney Edmund A Booth Jr. announced Friday afternoon.

Donald Lowery, 52, of Guyton, is accused of attempting to hold up the Stephenson Avenue Bank South branch on Sept. 17. A bank customer foiled his plan and Lowery was seriously hurt in the ensuing struggle.

Lowery has been charged with attempted armed bank robbery and possessing, carrying, brandishing and using a short-barreled shotgun during the commission of a crime of violence. If tried and convicted, he faces a maximum of 25 years in prison for the robbery and a minimum sentence of 10 years for the second charge, which would run consecutively.

No court appearances have been scheduled, Booth said. He also said the indictment is an accusation and not evidence of guilt.

The case was investigated by Special Agents Freddie Watkins and Tim Fehmel from the Savannah office of the FBI, along with Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department's Sgt. Greg Ernst, Detective Joseph Tote and Detective K. Frazier.