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U.S. Department of Justice 2111 W Roosevelt Rd. |
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Chicago FBI Press Office Phone: (312) 829-1199 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 5, 2008 |
SUSPECTED ‘CADILLAC BANDIT’ CHARGED Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced today the arrest of a suspected serial bank robber, believed responsible for the armed robbery of at least four (4) banks and the attempted robbery of a fifth, since April of this year. JOHN M. DONALDSON, age 57, of 7808 South Coles in Chicago was arrested, without incident, on November 2nd by FBI Special Agents as he was departing his residence. DONALDSON was charged in a criminal complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count of Bank Robbery, which is a felony offense. The charge relates to the October 28 th robbery of the TCF Bank branch, located at 1156 Maple Avenue in Lisle, Illinois. According to the complaint, investigators were led to DONALDSON, who was dubbed the “Cadillac Bandit” after a DNA sample obtained from a pair of eyeglasses left behind at the scene of an attempted robbery in Clarendon Hills, Illinois were matched to a DNA profile that was on file with the FBI. Agents then tracked DONALDSON to his residence, where he was arrested. DONALDSON had been dubbed the “Cadillac Bandit” as he used an older model Cadillac in escaping the robbery scenes. Although he has only been charged with the October 28 th robbery in Lisle, DONALDSON is also a suspect in the April 23, 2008 robbery of the Bank of America branch, located at 22 West 121 Butterfield Road in Glen Ellyn; the August 28 th robbery of the TCF Bank branch, located at 5545 South Holmes in Countryside; and the October 29 th robbery of the TCF Bank branch, located at 13460 South Route 59 in Plainfield. DONALDSON is also a suspect in the August 12 th attempted robbery of the National City Bank branch, located at 300 Holmes Avenue in Clarendon Hills. DONALDSON is scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan later this week. If convicted of the charge filed against him, DONALDSON faces a possible sentence of up to twenty (20) years incarceration. 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 Press Office at (312) 829-1199. |
