U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
|
|
U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation |
|
|
| In Reply, Please Refer to Release No. |
211 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, Illinois 60608 (312) 829 - 1199 |
|
|
|
August 28, 2006 SERIAL BANKER ROBBER CHARGED Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Philip J. Cline, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Michael F. Sheahan, Cook County Sheriff announced today the filing of criminal charges against ANTONIO ABARCA, age 28, whose last known address was 3028 West 40th Place in Chicago. ABARCA was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one (1) count of Bank Robbery, which is a felony offense. According to the complaint, ABARCA is responsible for the May 6, 2006 robbery of approximately $2,000 from the National City Bank branch, located at 2800 West Armitage in Chicago. According to witnesses, ABARCA entered the bank and approached a teller, handing her a note announcing a robbery and demanding cash from her drawer. Although the note implied that he was armed and threatened her with harm if his demands were not met, no weapon was displayed and no injuries were reported. The charges filed against ABARCA were the result of investigation conducted by the Chicago FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF). Members of the VCTF have been investigating a serial robber, dubbed the "Goatee Bandit", who is believed responsible for the armed robbery of as many as twelve (12) Chicago banks, dating to November of 2003. A major break in the investigation came when the case was featured on a recent edition of "Chicago's Most Wanted", which airs weekly on WFLD-TV. A viewer of the show saw the bank surveillance photos of the "Goatee Bandit", which they recognized as ABARCA. Subsequent investigation by the VCTF developed evidence linking ABARCA to the National City robbery. Investigation into the remaining robberies is continuing.ABARCA is being held without bond at the Cook County Jail on unrelated charges. He will eventually be taken into federal custody, at which time he will be held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Chicago while awaiting trial. If convicted of the charges filed against him, ABARCA faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years incarceration. The Chicago FBI's VCTF is comprised of FBI Special Agents, Detectives from the CPD and Investigators from the Cook County Sheriff's Department. ABARCA is the fourth fugitive to be identified and apprehended so far this year as a result of tips from viewers to "Chicago's Most Wanted". The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. EDITOR'S NOTE: A copy of the complaint filed against ABARCA is available from the Chicago FBI Press Office at (312) 829-1199.
|
