Arrest May Solve “Motorcycle Bandit” Robberies

FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson and Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry announce the arrest of a man suspected of robbing Glacier Bank in Lakeside, Montana on Wednesday, September 28, 2011. According to witnesses, a male wearing a motorcycle helmet entered the bank Wednesday afternoon, showed a gun to a teller, and got away on a motorcycle with cash from the bank.

Flathead County Sheriff’s Office deputies and FBI special agents responded to the scene. With information from witnesses, deputies later arrested a Montana resident in connection with the bank robbery. The suspect was booked into the Flathead County Jail. No formal criminal charges have been filed, and the investigation continues.

Special agents and detectives are also looking into whether the suspect is the same person who has committed a string of other robberies in Montana. Those robberies include:

• 05/31/11 - Bitterroot Valley Bank, St. Regis
• 04/05/11 - First Valley Bank, Seeley Lake
• 11/10/10 - Glacier Bank, Lakeside
• 09/24/10 - First Interstate Bank, Big Fork
• 09/06/09 - Muralt’s Truck Stop, Missoula

In four of the five other robberies the suspect wore a motorcycle helmet and escaped on a motorcycle. Prior to this week’s bank robbery, the FBI had offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person who had committed the five robberies. The FBI Wanted Poster can be viewed at FBI.gov through the link provided. http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/unknown/unknown-serial-bank-robber-3/view.