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U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation

In Reply, Please Refer to Release No.

219 South Dearborn Street Chicago, Illinois 60604

October 19, 2006 SUSPECT CHARGED IN HOMEWOOD BANK ROBBERY Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Lawrence Burnson, Chief of the Homewood, Illinois Police Department announced today the arrest of RONNIE L. LOONEY, age 33, whose last known address was in Harvey, Illinois. LOONEY was arrested Wednesday morning by Homewood Police Officers following a brief foot chase. The officers were responding to a robbery alarm at the Chase Bank branch, located at 17450 South Halsted Street in Homewood. LOONEY was charged in a criminal complaint filed late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count of Bank Robbery, which is a felony offense. According to the complaint, LOONEY entered the Chase Bank branch and approached a teller, handing her a note announcing a robbery and demanding cash. He then displayed a handgun to a second bank employee, who was seated nearby, and ordered her to remain in her chair or she would be killed. After obtaining in excess of $10,000 in cash, LOONEY fled the bank on foot. He was spotted walking down the street a few blocks away from the bank by an alert Homewood police officer, who was responding to the robbery. LOONEY attempted to flee but was apprehended after a brief chase. A plastic bag containing the stolen money and a handgun used during the robbery, which was determined to be a pellet gun, were recovered nearby. No injuries were reported during the robbery. LOONEY appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Arlander Keys in Chicago late yesterday, at which time he was ordered held without bond, pending his next scheduled court date. If convicted of the charge against him, LOONEY faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years incarceration. Though not charged, LOONEY is also a suspect in the September 15, 2006 robbery of the Charter One Bank branch, located at 17830 South Halsted Street, also in Homewood. 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 criminal complaint filed in this case is available from the Chicago FBI Press Office at (312) 829-1199.

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