U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation

In Reply, Please Refer to Release No.

2111 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, Illinois 60608 (312) 829-1199

March 6, 2007 PUBLIC'S HELP SOUGHT IN SEARCH FOR SERIAL BANK ROBBERS   Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is asking for the public's help in identifying the individuals depicted in the attached photographs, who are believed responsible for the armed take-over robbery of three banks in Chicago, early last month. The most recent theft occurred on February 8th at the Chase Bank branch, located at 2310 West 95th Street. According to witnesses, the robbers entered the bank and approached a teller, at which time they orally announced a robbery. They then forced bank employees to take them to the vault at which time they removed a significant amount of cash which they placed in plastic garbage bags that they had brought with them. They then fled the area in a waiting automobile, not further described, that was driven by a third male. A portion of the stolen money was recovered outside, after a security dye pack they had inadvertently taken was activated. These same individuals are believed responsible for the robbery of the Chase Bank branch, located at 6612 West North on February 5th and the attempted robbery of the Chase Bank branch, located at 2968 North Lincoln Avenue on February 1st. No injuries were reported during any theft. Robber # 1has been described by witnesses as a black/male, 20 - 25 years of age, 5'8" tall, medium build, with dark hair. He was wearing a dark colored jacket with the name "Desert Rangers" written on the back. Robber # 2 has been described as a black/male, 20 - 25 years of age, 6' 0" tall, medium build with a light complexion. He was wearing a multi-colored jacket with a white scarf around his face. The third individual involved in these thefts, who drove the get-away vehicle, was not further described. In appealing to the public for help, Mr. Grant noted that 2006 was once again a record year for bank robberies in the five county metropolitan Chicago area, with 284 reported . This number surpassed the previous record of 240 that was set in 2005. "Citizen involvement has always been an essential element of effective law enforcement, which is even more important today, given our limited resources and increased responsibilities" said Grant. These robberies are being investigated by the Chicago FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF), which is comprised of FBI Special Agents, Detectives from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Investigators from the Cook County Sheriff's Police (CCSP). Anyone recognizing these individuals or having any information about either of these robberies is asked to call the Chicago FBI at (312) 421-6700. EDITOR's NOTE: Additional copies of the attached photos are available from the Chicago FBI Press Office, either by e-mail or courier, at (312) 829-1199.

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