U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
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U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation |
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2111 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, Illinois 60608 (312) 829-1199 |
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March 2, 2007 TWO ARRESTED IN CALUMET CITY BANK ROBBERY
Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Patrick O'Meara, Chief of the Calumet City, Illinois Police Department (CCPD) announced today the arrest of LAFAYETTE TONEY, age 33 of Chicago and LINDSAY E. SEALS, age 23, of Calumet City. TONEY and SEALS were arrested yesterday by officers from the CCPD following the armed robbery of the Harris Bank branch, located at 555 Burnham Avenue in Calumet City. A third suspect, whose identity is unknown, remains at large. TONEY and SEALS were both charged in a criminal complaint filed earlier today in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count each of Bank Robbery, which is a felony offense. According to the complaint, two masked men, one of which was subsequently identified as TONEY, entered the Harris Bank branch just after 8:30 yesterday morning, prior to the bank opening. The two robbers, who were both armed with handguns, vaulted the teller counter and confronted several bank employees. One of the robbers stood guard over the employees while the second removed in excess of $100,000 from the bank's vault. The robbers then fled the bank, entering a vehicle that was parked nearby. An alert bank customer, who was waiting for the drive-up window to open, noticed that a robbery was taking place and notified the CCPD. A second individual, who was parked outside the bank, watched as the robbers ran through the parking lot and into the get-a-way vehicle, a description of which was also provided to responding CCPD officers. A third citizen, who was driving nearby, obtained the license plate number to the get-a-way vehicle, which turned out to be registered to SEALS, who was an employee of the bank. Subsequent investigation by the CCPD and FBI led to the arrest of SEALS and the identification of TONEY as one of the robbers. TONEY was located and arrested by the CCPD, assisted by Chicago Police officers, several hours later, in the vicinity of 81st and Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago. TONEY and SEALS were subsequently turned over to the FBI. They both appeared in U.S. District Court in Chicago this afternoon, at which time they were ordered held without bond, pending their next scheduled court appearance. In announcing these arrests, Mr. Grant wants to commend the three citizens, whose keen observations materially aided in the solution of this robbery. "Citizen involvement has always been a cornerstone of effective law enforcement in this country" said Grant. "Without the assistance of these concerned citizens, it's quite likely that this case would remain unsolved." The FBI and CCPD are continuing their investigation in an attempt to identify and apprehend the third robber, who was described only as a black/male, 25 - 30 years of age, 5' 9" tall, with a thin build. Anyone knowing the identity of this individual or having any information about this robbery is asked to call the FBI at (312) 421-6700. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information leading to the identification and arrest of this third robber. 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 guilt 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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