FBI Offering $30K Reward To Help Capture Serial Bank Robbers
BALTIMORE, Md. (WJZ)—The FBI says the danger is growing, so they are upping the reward money for a pair of bank robbers. They've hit a number of banks in the past few weeks in Maryland and Virginia.
Alex DeMetrick has the details.
This Essex Bank in Arnold in Anne Arundel County was robbed by heavily disguised white men nicknamed the "black hat bandits".
As a result, surveillance photos aren't much use, but it's their technique that's the real worry.
"They're ready for a confrontation and that's not a good sign," said Amy Thoreson, FBI Spokesperson.
According to agents working out of the FBI's office in Baltimore, the pair began brandishing guns with their first robbery January 2nd.
"But the last most recent robberies they have actually jumped the counters. They have threatened the clerks and tellers. They put a gun to a customer's head. So this is really getting dangerous," said Thoreson.
The first bank was hit in McLean, Virginia. The second came in Fairfax. Two banks were held up in Vienna, Virginia, and then the pair hit the bank in Arnold and another in Waldorf, Maryland. The last robbery was a bank in Sterling, Virginia on Wednesday.
"There's really not a rhyme or reason as to where they're hitting. It's just locations that maybe they're familiar with. We're not certain," Thoreson said.
But it may be easy access to major interstate's for getaways. WJZ visited the Essex Bank in Arnold. Tellers declined to talk about their robbery, but there appeared to be agreement about the FBI's latest move.
Because of the escalation of violent behavior, the FBI is now offering a $30,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
"We're hoping that amount of money will make someone pay attention and turn these guys in."
Before someone gets hurt.
The last robberies in this spree happened this past Wednesday, when two banks in Virginia were robbed in under an hour.
Anyone with any information is asked to call police immediately, or you can submit an anonymous tip here: https://tips.fbi.gov/
