Westside Gun & Bag Bandit Arrested After Allegedly Robbing Seven Banks in the West Los Angeles Area
| FBI Los Angeles February 03, 2014 |
A Studio City man sought for a series of bank robberies under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the FBI was arrested following a bank robbery last weekend.
Alim Shamil Urmancheev, 44, of Studio City, was taken into custody by Los Angeles police in Venice on Monday, January 27, following a bank robbery that occurred on Saturday, January 25, at a Chase Bank on National Boulevard in West Los Angeles.
Urmancheev was charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in connection with the following bank robberies:
| Date | Bank | Address | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 25, 2013 | Union Bank | 429 Santa Monica Boulevard | Santa Monica |
| October 22, 2013 | U.S. Bank | 4700 Lincoln Boulevard | Los Angeles |
| November 4, 2013 | U.S. Bank | 3302 West Pico Boulevard | Santa Monica |
| November 30, 2013 | Chase Bank | 1415 Lincoln Boulevard | Venice |
| December 11, 2013 | Chase Bank | 310 North Fairfax Avenue | Los Angeles |
| January 7, 2014 | U.S. Bank | 1401 Wilshire Boulevard | Santa Monica |
| January 25, 2014 | Chase Bank | 11700 National Boulevard | West Los Angeles |
During the robberies linked to the Westside Gun & Bag Bandit, the suspect was described as having worn sunglasses and a hat, alternating between a baseball cap and a cowboy hat. The Westside Gun & Bag Bandit threatened a weapon and typically carried a brown paper bag in which the stolen cash was placed. Bank surveillance photographs of the unidentified suspect were distributed to the media and posted online.
Urmancheev is being held in a Los Angeles County jail facility awaiting prosecution by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
This investigation was conducted by detectives and agents with the Los Angeles Police Department and the FBI. The Santa Monica Police Department assisted during the investigation.
Bank surveillance photographs of multiple serial bank robbers being sought by the FBI and law enforcement partners in Southern California can be found at www.labankrobbers.org.