Seeking Information on North Dakota Bank Robbery

On April 14, 2011, at approximately 9:00 a.m., the Gate City Bank branch located at 1017 South Broadway Avenue in Minot, North Dakota, was robbed by a lone man. The approached a teller window and handed the teller with a note that said, “This is a robbery 20s and 50’s quick and no one gets hurt.” The teller complied with the robber’s demand and provided him with an undisclosed amount of cash. Another employee triggered a bank alarm. The robber left the bank and was seen by a witness leaving the area in a green vehicle bearing North Dakota license plate 73480. No one was injured during the robbery.

Minot police officers who responded to the bank obtained a description of the robber and his vehicle. That information was disseminated to other law enforcement agencies in the area. A vehicle matching the robber’s vehicle was later located and stopped east of Minot by law enforcement authorities in McHenry County. The driver of the vehicle was subsequently identified as Ruben Paul Slater, 33, of Bismarck, North Dakota. He was placed into custody and transported to the Minot Police Department, where he provided a statement to a Minot police pfficer and an FBI agent.

Earlier today, a federal complaint alleging Slater’s perpetration of the bank robbery was sworn and signed before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles S. Miller in Bismarck. Magistrate Miller also presided over Slater’s initial federal court appearance via a teleconference earlier this afternoon. Slater is being detained at the Ward County Jail pending his next court appearance scheduled for Tuesday next week.

The charges in a federal criminal complaint are merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.