“Bayou Bandit” Arrested in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO, TX—Cory B. Nelson, Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio Division of the FBI, announced today that members of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force arrested serial bank robbery suspect Douglas Edward Ford.

Ford, a 46-year-old resident of San Antonio, was arrested without incident today at approximately 10:30 a.m. in the 8000 block of Micron Street. The FBI and local authorities from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Oklahoma are looking into the possibility that Ford is responsible for the robbery of 11 banks since March 2010. Due to the identical method and serial nature of the 11 robberies all occurring in a regional area, the unidentified robber was named the “Bayou Bandit.” Ford’s arrest is based upon a federal warrant issued by the United States Court, Western District of Louisiana, charging him with bank robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113. The identification of Ford as the “Bayou Bandit” was a direct result of public assistance generated by digital billboards made available to law enforcement by Lamar Outdoor Advertising.

Ford will have an initial appearance hearing before a United States Magistrate Judge later today, after which he will be turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service for further processing.