Jason Bradley Accused Of Robbing Bank In Lombard Using Fireworks Taped To His Waist Designed To Look Like Bomb, Texting Wife Photo Of Cash
LOMBARD, Ill. (CBS) -- A Villa Park man was charged Tuesday with robbing a bank in Lombard with fireworks duct-taped to his waist that were made up to look like a bomb, and authorities said he then texted his wife a photo of a wad of cash.
The criminal complaint against Jason Bradley was handed down Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney's office.
In the complaint, an FBI agent reported that at 1:17 p.m. Monday, a suspect walked into the West Suburban Bank at 707 N. Main St. in Lombard and handed the branch manager a note reading, "I need everything from your drawer or WE ALL DIE!!!"
As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported, surveillance images of the man entering the bank show the suspect walking in wearing no gloves or hat – his first oops.
The robber then unzipped his sweat shirt, revealing a device strapped to his waist that appeared to be a bomb, the agent reported.
The branch manager said the robber gestured toward his waist to the apparent bomb – which contained multiple white sticks and one red sticks with black wires connected to them, the agent reported. The device seemed to be duct-taped, the agent reported.
A bomb it was not. It was actually fireworks – another oops.
The branch manager said she handed the note to the teller behind the window, who pressed a distress button on the Teller Cash Recycler. The recycler dispenses a predetermined amount of cash, and released $800 to the robber, the agent reported.
The robber then left the bank, and got into a silver Chevrolet Cruze with Illinois license plate CS50482 – which was registered to Bradley at a Villa Park address, the agent reported.
Around 2 p.m. the same day, less than 45 minutes after the robbery, law enforcement began conducting surveillance on Bradley's house in Villa Park, the agent reported. Bradley was seen leaving the house on foot wearing the same red T-shirt and blue jeans the robber had been wearing, the agent reported.
Bradley went back inside, but at 6:40 p.m., he came outside again to smoke a cigarette on the front steps, the agent reported.
Bradley was arrested at that point. He had $747 with him, the agent reported. It was not clear whether he lost or spent the $53 that was gone from the $800 he got from the bank.
The bank manager positively identified Bradley, though the teller identified somebody else, the agent reported.
Meanwhile, law enforcement tracked down Bradley's wife's phone number and left her a voicemail asking to search the house, the agent reported. Upon arriving, Bradley's wife told agents he had called her around 5:45 p.m. Monday and said he had robbed a bank and ditched his car in Elmhurst, the agent reported.
He told her he had strapped fireworks to his chest and had handed a note to a teller, and had then texted her a picture of a handful of cash, the agent reported.
An image of the texted photo shows it was accompanied by the message, "Nothing? Nobody has been looking for me? Nothing? Wtf."
In searching the house, agents found the traceable bills, a red shirt that looked like the one Bradley had been wearing during the robbery, as well as fireworks wrappers, a roll of duct tape, and a notepad consistent with the demand note, the agent reported.
Bradley's car was found in the 100 block of North Walnut Street in Elmhurst, the agent said.
And of course, the most damning evidence was Bradley's text message to his wife in which prosecutors said he told her all about the heist.
Bradley remained in federal custody Tuesday night.
