FORT WORTH, TX—An Arlington, Texas, woman, whom the FBI believes is the “Black Hoodie Bandit,” and responsible for a number of bank robberies in several Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex cities since November 2014, has been arrested and charged in a federal criminal complaint with bank robbery. John Parker, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, and Thomas M. Class, Sr., Special Agent in Charge of FBI Dallas, made today’s announcement.

Dana Campbell, 37, was arrested on Monday, March 23, 2015, following a traffic stop by an officer with the Arlington Police Department who had determined she was wanted for several misdemeanor traffic warrants. A black jacket with a plaid lined hood was lying on the front passenger seat of her vehicle. A handwritten note that read, “This is a robbery. I don’t want to hurt anyone” was in one of the jacket’s pockets. Pursuant to a search warrant, detectives found dark sunglasses, black gloves, a black beanie hat with brim and a black leather purse with metal studs, and a note that read, “This is a robbery.” Officers also located a ledger in her vehicle with the dates and addresses of various banks in the DFW area that had been robbed within the past four months. All of the dates in the ledger correspond to actual bank robberies that occurred in the DFW area.

The “Black Hoodie Bandit” had been a suspect in 10 separate robberies, nine of which were at First Convenience Banks (FCB) and one at a Woodforest National Bank. At every robbery, she was described as a black female, short in stature and weighing approximately 150 lbs. In each robbery, she wore dark sunglasses, black gloves, back legging and white tennis shoes. She wore at least three different hooded jackets, two of which were black and the other gray. She always carried a purse and in one robbery, that purse was described as black with metal decorative studs on the outside.

FCB had placed posters with photos from the various robberies at the entrances of all their branches, and all FCB employees were on alert for a potential robbery.

On March 10, 2015, at approximately 1:30 p.m., a teller at the FCB inside the Kroger located at 2475 Ascension Blvd. in Arlington, noted the woman, later identified as Campbell, approach another teller station. The teller noted the woman was wearing a beanie cap, dark sunglasses, a black hooded jacket and black gloves. This teller’s customer looked at the robber, and then over to one of the large posters, and said, “Are you the one who has been robbing all the banks?” Before leaving the bank rapidly, the customer warned the tellers that they were about to be robbed. The robber then told one of the tellers to “give me all the money” and “hurry up.” The robber was given money from a cash drawer; she took it and fled the bank.

On March 23, 2015, at approximately 11:00 a.m., a woman matching the description of the “Black Hoodie Bandit” entered the Kroger store at 2210 S. Fielder Road in Arlington, where an FCB branch was located. Two FCB employees standing near the entrance greeting customers saw the woman and recognized her as the robber. The woman hurriedly walked past them, down an aisle and out of the store. Observers saw her walk to a gray sedan and drive away. Officers with the Arlington Police Department were able to stop the car, and Campbell was identified as the driver.

Campbell made her initial appearance in federal court in Fort Worth this morning before U.S. Magistrate Jeffrey L. Cureton. She will remain in federal custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing set for April 1, 2015.

A federal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offenses charged, and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. If convicted of this offense, however, Campbell faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The U.S. Attorney’s office has 30 days to present the matter to a grand jury for indictment.

The FBI and the Arlington, Grand Prairie, Irving, Mansfield, McKinney and Mesquite Police Departments are investigating. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Bradford is in charge of the prosecution.