FBI Intensifies Search for North Center Bandit
CHICAGO - October 22, 2015 - Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced today that a reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information leading to the identification and arrest of a serial bank robber dubbed the “North Center Bandit.” The North Center Bandit is suspected of carrying out four bank robberies on Chicago’s north side in the last two months. The latest occurred on October 20 at a bank he robbed in late August this year.
The robber earned his moniker based on the location of the robberies: all the banks are located in or near Chicago’s North Center neighborhood. The North Center Bandit first struck on August 21, 2015, at the PNC Bank branch located at 4201 North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. At around 2:24 p.m. on that day, a robber entered the bank, approached a bank employee, and made a threatening demand for money. On August 27 and on October 20, 2015, a robber matching the description of the individual from the prior robbery and operating in a similar manner entered the Chase Bank branch located at 3335 North Ashland Avenue just after 4 p.m. A similar robbery occurred at the Chase Bank branch located at 3339 West Belmont Avenue in Chicago on September 25, 2015, also just after 4 p.m. To date, no physical injuries have been reported in connection with these robberies.
The North Center Bandit is described by witnesses as a male, white, 25 to 35 years old, 6’0” to 6’ 2” tall, weighing approximately 180 to 210 pounds, wearing a plaid shirt and a baseball cap or a dark-colored suit. He is considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone recognizing the North Center Bandit or having information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Chicago Field Office of the FBI at (312) 421-6700 or local police. This case is being investigated by the FBI in coordination with local authorities.
Photographs from the robberies and additional information about the North Center Bandit, as well as information about other unsolved bank robberies in the Chicago area, can be found online at http://bandittrackerchicago.com.
FBI Chicago
Special Agent Joan Hyde
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