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) 421-6700 |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2007 |
Chicago FBI Press Office |
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Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Timothy J. McCarthy, Chief of the Orland Park Police Department (OPPD) announced today that two men have been charged in connection with the September 21, 2007 attempted robbery of the Republic Bank branch, located at 15790 South Harlem Avenue in Orland Park. ANTHONY KELLY, age 19, of Chicago and LAWRENCE SWEISS, age 27, of Oak Forrest, Illinois, were charged in a criminal complaint filed late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one (1) count each of attempted Bank Robbery, which is a felony offense. According to the complaint, alert bank employees noticed a vehicle containing KELLY and SWEISS circling the bank several times and acting in a suspicious manner. Bank employees then watched as the two men approached the bank and pulled ski masks down over their face. They were also wearing gloves and carried a large duffle bag. Fearing a robbery, bank employees locked the doors to the bank and called the OPPD, who responded to the scene. An officer tracked the two men to a nearby parking lot, where they were apprehended without incident. A search of their persons revealed that each man was in possession of a pellet gun, which was tucked into the front of their pants. Both men were eventually turned over to the FBI, with subsequent investigation resulting in the filing of the charges announced today. KELLY and SWEISS appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole in Chicago, late yesterday, at which time they were formally charged. Both men were ordered held without bond, pending their next scheduled court appearance. If convicted of the charges filed against them, KELLY and SWEISS face a possible sentence of up to 20 years incarceration. In announcing the charges, Mr. Grant wants to commend the OPPD for their prompt response to the emergency call placed by bank employees. “The professionalism displayed by the responding officers directly led to the apprehension of two potentially violent criminals and prevented them from committing additional robberies” said Mr. Grant. 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: Copies of the criminal complaint filed in this case is available from the Chicago FBI’s press office at (312) 829-1199.
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