U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation

2111 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, Illinois 60608 (312) 421-6700

Chicago FBI Press Office Phone: (312) 829-1199	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 10, 2007

TWO CHARGED WITH BERWYN BANK ROBBERY Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and William P. Kushner, Chief of the Berwyn, Illinois Police Department (BPD) announced today the arrest of ABRAHAM LIRA, age 21, of 4844 West 24 th Street in Cicero, Illinois and JESSICA ROSALES, age 18, of 6413 West 33 rd Street in Berwyn, Illinois. Both LIRA and ROSALES were arrested late last week, without incident, by officers of the BPD. LIRA and ROSALES were charged in a criminal complaint filed on December 6, 2007 in U.S. District Court in Chicago with the December 4, 2007 robbery of the Harris Bank branch, located at 6811 Stanley in Berwyn. According to the complaint, while investigating an unrelated crime, Berwyn Police received a tip which identified LIRA as the individual responsible for the actual robbery, while ROSALES assisted in the planning and disposition of the cash taken during the heist. Subsequent investigation by the Chicago FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force, assisted by the BPD, developed additional evidence linking LIRA and ROSALES to the robbery and resulted in the recovery of approximately $8,000 in stolen funds. LIRA and ROSALES appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan in Chicago on Thursday, at which time they were both formally charged. LIRA and ROSALES were ordered held without bond, pending their next scheduled court appearance. If convicted of the charge filed against them, LIRA and ROSALES face a possible sentence of up to 20 years incarceration. The Chicago FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force is comprised of FBI Special Agents, Detectives from the Chicago Police Department and Investigators from the Cook County Sheriff’s Police. 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 in this case is available from the Chicago FBI’s press office at (312) 829-1199.

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