Suspect Arrested in “Scarecrow Bandit” Serial Bank Robbery Investigation

Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), was joined today by Christopher J. Merritt, Chief of the South Elgin, Illinois Police Department (SEPD) in announcing that an arrest has been made in the “Scarecrow Bandit” bank robbery investigation.

JOSEPH G. DOLGACH, age 51, whose last known address was 8 Westminster Court in Lake in the Hills, Illinois, was arrested Wednesday afternoon, without incident, by Officers of the SEPD, following the armed robbery of the Amcore Bank branch, located at 536 Randall Road in the northwest suburb.

DOLGACH was charged in a criminal complaint filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one (1) count of Armed Bank Robbery, which is a felony offense. According to the complaint, DOLGACH entered the South Elgin bank around 1:45 p.m. brandishing a wooden stick or club. He then orally announced a robbery and forced several tellers to open cash drawers and place money from the drawers into a white bag that he had brought with him.

After receiving approximately $2000 in cash, DOLGACH is alleged to have demanded and taken from a bank employee, the keys to her car which he planned to use in making his escape. However, he was apparently unable to locate the vehicle and attempted to flee the area on foot. An alert SEPD officer, who heard a radio dispatch about the robbery, spotted an individual matching the description of the robber running from the bank in possession of both a wooden stick and a white bag, which contained the proceeds from the robbery. The officer was able to take the individual, later identified as DOLGACH, into custody at the scene. No injuries were reported during the robbery.

Subsequent investigation by the FBI and SEPD developed additional evidence, linking DOLGACH to the robbery and leading to the filing of the criminal charges announced today.

In announcing this arrest, Mr. Grant praised the officers of the South Elgin Police Department for their prompt response to an emergency service call, which led to the quick apprehension of an armed and potentially dangerous robbery suspect. Said Mr. Grant “The citizens of South Elgin should be proud to have such professional and conscientious officers serving their community.”

Though only charged with the August 26th robbery in South Elgin, DOLGACH is also suspected in the July 18th robbery of the First Eagle Bank branch, located in Hanover Park, and the June 20th robbery of the Citibank branch, located in Hoffman Estates. The individual responsible for these robberies had been given the moniker of the “Scarecrow Bandit,” due to the distinctive flannel shirt and floppy hat that he wore during the thefts.

DOLGACH appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez in Chicago yesterday morning, at which time he was formally charged. DOLGACH was ordered held without bond, pending his next scheduled court appearance, which is scheduled for Tuesday, September 1st. Until then, DOLGACH will be housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Chicago. If convicted of the charge filed against him, DOLGACH faces a possible sentence of up 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: Copies of the criminal complaint filed in this case are available from the Chicago FBI’s Press Office at (312) 829-1199.