FORT WAYNE—A Fort Wayne man and a branch manager for an area Chase bank were arrested Wednesday, May 13, 2020, by the FBI’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force (FWSSGTF) and the Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) for their roles in the 2019 Christmas Eve robbery of the Chase Bank at 2601 Lower Huntington Road, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Horia Malutan, 43, and Kelly Krieger, 35, both of Fort Wayne, were charged with armed bank robbery.

The robbery happened just before 8:30 a.m. on December 24, 2019. Malutan was allegedly observed on security camera footage pretending to use the ATM in front of the bank prior to the business opening for the day. When the first employee, who had entered the bank and shut off the alarm, was unlocking the door for Krieger, the bank manager; the suspect forced his way into the bank at gunpoint and had them open the vault.

Malutan allegedly forced the two to fill a duffel bag with money; then told them to lie face down on the floor, not to look up, and to count to 100 or he would shoot them. He then left the bank through a back door.

“Without the help of the public this case would have been difficult to solve. The FBI appreciates the citizens who provided information and are grateful for their willingness to come forward,” said Supervisory Special Agent Jim Keszei, FBI Indianapolis Fort Wayne Resident Agency. “The FBI enjoys an outstanding relationship with the Fort Wayne Police Department and together—FBI Agents working side by side with Fort Wayne robbery detectives—were able to make an arrest in this investigation.”

“The Fort Wayne Police Department is grateful for all who have contributed, gathered, and processed information that led to the arrests of Horia Malutan and Kelly Krieger. We are fortunate to live in a community that values law and order and has citizens willing to step forward with information in an attempt to keep this community safe.”

The FBI had offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s).