Three More Charlotte Banks Robbed

Armed bank robbery took place at two Wachovia Banks within a week.

September 22, 2007

MECKLENBURG COUNTY NC NEWS -- Bank robberies continue in Charlotte, North Carolina. This time, an armed bank robbery took place at the Wachovia Bank branch located at 801 Kenilworth Avenue. The FBI Charlotte Safe Streets Task Force is continuing to ask the public's assistance in identifying and locating the individual responsible for this recent robbery as well as others.

On September 18, 2007, at approximately 3:20 p.m., a lone male entered the bank and approached the bank counter. The perpetrator, who was armed with and displayed a revolver, demanded cash from the bank tellers. After obtaining an undisclosed amount of money, which the robber placed in a dark plastic garbage bag that he brought with him, fled the area, possibly on foot. There were no injuries as a result of the robbery.

The bank robber is described as a black male, approximately 5'10" in height, medium build, and late 40s to early 50s in age. At the time of the robbery, the perpetrator was wearing a black ball cap, a short-sleeved polo shirt that was greenish-brown in color, and blue-jean pants. The perpetrator also wore a stocking mask pulled over his face.

Investigators from the FBI Charlotte Safe Streets Task Force and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department responded to the robbery and are continuing to investigate.

Unfortunately, no images suitable for dissemination and identification of the perpetrator were obtained from this bank's surveillance system.

The FBI Charlotte Safe Streets Task Force did release images from the Wachovia Bank robbery on September 13, 2007. Located at 4501 Park Road, Wachovia Bank's surveillance system took these images to help further identify this bank robber.

Last week on September 13, 2007, at around 12:45 p.m., the Wachovia Bank located at 4501 Park Road, Charlotte, North Carolina was robbed at gunpoint. The perpetrator entered the bank and paused briefly in the vestibule of the bank while putting a nylon stocking over his head. The perpetrator then approached one of the teller windows and demanded cash from two bank tellers. The perpetrator was given an undisclosed amount of money spiked with a dye pack. The money and the dye pack were placed in a plastic bag; afterward, the robber fled the bank on foot in the direction of Abbey Place when the dye pack exploded. The perpetrator was observed throwing the smoking plastic bag into the back of a pick-up truck and driving away. Luckily, there were no injuries as a result of the robbery.

This bank robber was described as a black male, approximately 6 feet in height, thin to medium build, and 30's in age. At the time of the robbery, the perpetrator was wearing a polo shirt with blue and white stripes, blue-jean long pants, a white ball cap that had a dark-colored brim, and a latex glove on his left hand.

The getaway vehicle is described as a white pick-up truck that contained a translucent water/liquid tank in the bed of the trunk just behind the truck's rear window. However, the tank did not take up the entire bed of the truck.

Investigators from the FBI Charlotte Safe Streets Task Force and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department responded to both Wachovia Bank robberies and are still investigating.

Meanwhile, on September 14, 2007, Jerry Smith, 49, of Charlotte, North Carolina, turned himself in to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department and was charged with common law robbery, a state felony charge, for the September 13, 2007, robbery of the BB&T bank branch located at 200 South College Street, in Charlotte, North Carolina. On September 13, 2007, at approximately 9:21 a.m., Smith allegedly entered the bank and presented one of the bank tellers with a bank robbery demand note, which indicated that he was in possession of a bomb. However, no weapon or explosive device was observed or displayed during the robbery. Smith allegedly fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of money. There were no injuries as a result of the robbery, and Smith is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Anyone with information regarding either of these North Carolina bank robberies are encouraged to contact the FBI at (704) 377-9200.

Published by:
Rob Cross
mailto:editor@357news.com

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