FBI Searching for “Belmont - Central Bandit”

June 8, 2010 - Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is asking for the public’s help in identifying the individual depicted in the below wanted flyer, who is responsible for the armed robbery of at least three Chicago banks since March of this year.

The most recent theft took place on May 1, when the MB Financial Bank branch, located at 3046 North Central in Chicago was robbed of an undisclosed amount of money. According to witnesses, a lone robber entered the bank and approached a teller window, sliding a note across the counter. The note announced a robbery and threatened the bank employee with harm, if his instructions were not followed. The robber then produced a white plastic bag, which he demanded that the bank employee fill with cash.

The robber became quite agitated and started yelling at bank employees. He then demanded that a second teller, who was positioned nearby, also place money from her drawer into the bag, threatening her with harm as well. As he grabbed the plastic bag, it ripped open, spilling some of the money onto the floor. The robber picked up most of the fallen currency, stuffing it into his jacket as he fled the bank. He was last seen walking north on Central Avenue, disappearing into the passing crowd.

Other robberies attributed to this individual are the April 9 theft from the Plaza Bank, located at 5601 West Belmont Avenue, and the March 26 theft from the former Broadway Bank branch, located at 3046 North Central, all in Chicago. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.

The “Belmont - Central Bandit” is described as a white or Hispanic male, 5’ 6” - 5’11” tall, medium build, with black hair and brown eyes. He is believed to wear corrective glasses and has a large mole or freckle on his left cheek. He has been dubbed the “Belmont - Central Bandit” as all three of the banks he is suspected of robbing have been in close proximity to this major Chicago intersection.

This case is being investigated by the Chicago FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) which is comprised of FBI special agents, detectives from the Chicago Police Department, and investigators from the Cook County Sheriff’s Police.

Anyone recognizing this individual or having any information about any of these robberies is asked to call the Chicago FBI at (312) 421-6700 or any law enforcement agency.

Additional information about this and other unsolved Chicago area bank robberies, including downloadable photographs, is available on-line at the Bandit Tracker Chicago website, www.bandittrackerchicago.com.