Charges Filed in Hanover Park Bank Robbery

Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was joined today by David Webb, Chief of the Hanover Park, Illinois Police Department (HPPD) and James R. Kruger, Chief of the Roselle, Illinois Police Department (RPD) in announcing the arrest of a suburban man for the December 14, 2009 robbery of the Chase Bank branch, located at 1640 West Irving Park Road in the western suburb.

CAYETANO E. WILLIAMS, age 50, whose last known address was 25 West 019 Argyle in Roselle, was arrested late Sunday, without incident, by officers from the DuPage County Sheriff’s Department, who were assisting in the investigation of a convenience store robbery. CAYETANO was charged in a criminal complaint filed earlier this week in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count of Bank Robbery, which is a felony offense.

According to the complaint, CAYETANO entered the Chase Bank branch around noon, approached a teller, and handed her a note announcing a robbery. This was followed by an oral demand for money and a threat of physical harm if his demands were not met. CAYETANO claimed to be armed with a handgun, although no weapon was displayed and no injuries were reported during the robbery.

After receiving over $25,000.00 in bank funds, CAYETANO fled the bank on foot. He was seen by witnesses entering a compact-sized automobile that was parked nearby, in which he fled the area. This vehicle was not further described and the robbery remained unsolved, despite investigative efforts by the FBI and HPPD.

On December 30, 2009, the Roselle Bank and Trust, located at 1350 West Lake Street in Roselle, was robbed by an individual matching the description of the man who robbed the Hanover Park bank two weeks earlier. The RPD then joined the FBI and HPPD in the investigation.

On the evening of January 3, RPD officers responded to an armed robbery report at a convenience store. After obtaining a description of the robber, who was believed to have fled the scene on foot, officers from neighboring communities joined in the search. An individual who matched the description of the robber, and who was later identified as CAYETANO, was stopped nearby and eventually arrested. He was charged in state court with armed robbery.

Subsequent investigation by the Chicago FBI and Detectives from the Hanover Park and Roselle Police Departments developed additional evidence linking CAYETANO to the robbery and the filing of the charges announced today.

Though not charged, CAYETANO is also a suspect in the robbery of the Roselle Bank and Trust, located at 1350 West Lake Street in Roselle.

CAYETANO appeared before Magistrate Judge Geraldine Soat Brown late yesterday, at which time he was formally charged. CAYETANO was ordered held without bond, pending his next court appearance, which is scheduled for tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. Until then, CAYETANO will be housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Chicago. If convicted of the charge filed against him, CAYETANO faces a possible sentence of up to twenty (20) years' incarceration.

In announcing this arrest, Mr. Grant commended the officers of the Hanover Park and Roselle Police Departments for their efforts in helping to solve this robbery. Said Mr. Grant “The dedication and cooperation exhibited by these officers led to the safe arrest of a potentially dangerous serial robber and the solution of multiple criminal acts. This coordination of efforts is essential to effective law enforcement in the 21st century.”

Chief Kruger added “On behalf of the Roselle Police Department, I would like to thank all of our neighboring agencies and the FBI for collaborating on a successful investigation. This collaborative effort culminated with the arrest of a possibly dangerous offender before he could strike again or cause injury to innocent victims.”

Additional information about this and other recent Chicago area bank robberies, including downloadable photographs, is available at the Bandit Tracker website, www.bandittrackerchicago.com

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.