Bank Robbery Suspect Dubbed the Ray-Bandit Arrested

Jeffrey C. Mazanec, Special Agent in Charge of the Richmond Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Colonel David R. Hines of the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office are announcing the arrest of Jeremy Evans of Carol Stream, Illinois. Evans, aka the “Ray-Bandit,” is thought to be responsible for at least 17 bank robberies in seven states, including two in Virginia.

Evans was arrested by officers from the Elgin, Illinois Police Department on January 15, 2013, following the report of an armed robbery that had just occurred at the Old Second National Bank in Elgin. Evans was arrested after officers spotted and stopped a vehicle matching the description of the getaway car. In earlier robberies, the Ray-Bandit would pass a note indicating he had a gun and demanded money; in the California robberies, a bomb threat was verbalized; and in the Elgin robbery, a gun was displayed.

The FBI utilized a multimedia campaign in an effort to enhance the investigative efforts of all agencies involved. The Ray-Bandit was featured on the FBI.gov website, via the Unknown Bank Robbers link and a podcast, digital billboards, “America’s Most Wanted,” and on local media. After Evans was arrested for the Elgin robbery, a tip was received indicating that Evans may be the Ray-Bandit, and through investigative measures, this has been confirmed.

Investigation is continuing to determine if Evans may be responsible for any additional unsolved robberies in other states.