Man Charged With Robbing Downtown Bank Suspected In 4 Other Heists
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 51-year-old man has been charged with robbing a Michigan Avenue bank downtown last month, and the FBI suspects he is responsible for four other holdups within a nine-day span.
Kurtis Kroster has been charged with bank robbery by intimidation for holding up a Citibank branch at 180 N. Michigan Av. on June 26.
According to the charges filed in federal court on Monday, he walked up to a teller and handed her note claiming he had a gun and would kill her if she didn't hand over cash.
He repeatedly told the teller "Hurry up. Hurry up Don't try anything or I will shoot you" after handing her the note. The teller handed over $1,443 in cash, and Kroster fled the scene, according to the FBI.
FBI agents arrested Kroster on July 5, while conducting surveillance of the same bank as part of an investigation into a series of bank robberies. Agents saw him walk into the bank and leave a short time later.
When an agent went into the bank after Kroster left, the agent didn't see any employees. When he announced himself as law enforcement, a bank employee came out and told him someone had just tried to rob the bank.
The agent then told members of the Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force outside to arrest the suspect.
After his arrest, Kroster allegedly admitted to the June 26 robbery. The FBI said, based on surveillance photos from other robberies, they believe he also robbed a U.S. Bank branch at 2263 S. Wentworth Av. on June 24; a First Midwest Bank branch at 5545 Hohman Av. in Hammond on June 28; a Burling Bank branch at 141 W. Jackson Blvd. on July 2; and a First Midwest Bank branch at 18120 Torrence Av. in Lansing on July 3.
Kroster is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing Wednesday afternoon at the Dirksen Federal Building courthouse.
