U.S. Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation

150 Corporate Boulevard
Norfolk, Virginia 23502

For Immediate Release
July 16, 2008

REQUEST FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
TO IDENTIFY ARMED ROBBERS -- REWARD OFFERED

Press Conference Scheduled for Thursday, 07/17/2008, at 10:30 a.m.

Hosted by Norfolk Field Office of the FBI, 150 Corporate Blvd, Norfolk, VA

The Norfolk Field Office of the FBI, the Virginia Beach Police Department, and the Chesapeake Police Department request the public's assistance to identify individuals believed to be responsible for a potentially related series of armed robberies from August 2006 through May 2008 in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, Virginia. The bank robberies occurred on the following dates:

08/02/2006 BB&T branch, 969 Chimney Hill Road, Virginia Beach, VA

Two male robbers wore body armor under their clothing, masks and gloves, and used duct tape to cover any insignias on their clothing. A gray or silver Nissan Altima, with stolen tags, was used as a getaway car that has not been recovered.

09/22/2006 BB&T branch, 3609 Holland Road, Virginia Beach, VA

The black male suspect, armed with a semi-automatic pistol like the one used in the 08/02/2006 robbery, wore a dark hat and dark scarf around his face. After taking money from several tellers, the suspect fled the scene on foot.

02/02/2007 Bank of America branch, 2022 Pleasure House Road, Virginia Beach, VA

The white male suspect entered the bank displaying a pistol grip shotgun. An armored car services employee was also present. Suspect first demanded the bank bag that the armored car services employee was holding, and then demanded money from the tellers. Suspect left in a green Mazda Millennia. The armored car services employee exited the bank and fired three to four shots at the suspect’s vehicle, striking it twice. The suspect exited the car a short distance from the bank and fled on foot with the bank bag and shotgun. The recovered Mazda Millennia had been reported as stolen on 01/24/2007 from a used car dealership. A two-way radio, turned on at the time, was found in the vehicle.

02/16/2007 Bank of Hampton Roads branch, 281 Independence Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA

The black male suspect, wearing a fake, full black beard, sunglasses and gloves, entered the bank and walked directly behind the teller line, displayed a black handgun and asked for the location of the bait money. He then demanded money from several tellers and stated that he did not want dye packs. One teller grabbed one of the two dye packs given to the robber, and another teller pointed out the second dye pack. The suspect then picked up the dye packs and threw them on the counter. The suspect exited the bank and entered a blue Chevy or Mazda bearing stolen tags.

05/3/2007 Wachovia branch, 125 Independence Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA

The suspects were described as two white males, who concealed their faces behind bandanas or masks, and they wore gloves and body armor. The jacket worn by one suspect appeared to be the same jacket worn by the suspect in the Bank of Hampton Roads robbery on 2/16/2007. The suspects entered the bank through a side door. One suspect immediately jumped the counter and demanded money from the tellers and instructed them not to give him dye packs or bait money. The other suspect controlled the lobby and pointed a silver, semi-automatic handgun at several employees. When the suspect in the lobby yelled “TIME,” the other suspect stopped what he was doing and jumped back over the counter. Both suspects then fled in a royal blue Chevy, possibly a Chevy Cobalt. The next day a royal blue Chevy Cobalt, believed to be the getaway vehicle, was located around the corner from the bank and identified as having been stolen from a used car dealership.

09/07/2007 Wachovia branch, 4287 Holland Road, Virginia Beach, VA

Two male suspects, wearing masks and gloves, entered the bank and ordered all customers to the ground; one such suspect wore a tie and blazer with jeans. One suspect jumped the counter and demanded money from the tellers, instructing them that he did not want dye packs or bait money. The other suspect controlled the lobby, pointing a black handgun at several employees. The suspects fled in a gray Ford Taurus, located a short time later in a nearby apartment complex. The vehicle had been stolen from a used car dealership.

01/24/2008 Bank of America branch, 1370 Fordham Drive, Virginia Beach, VA

Two white male suspects entered the bank. One pointed a silver semi-automatic handgun and forced several employees and customers to a back office, where he ordered them to the floor. Brandishing a handgun, the suspect then controlled the lobby. The second suspect approached several tellers and demanded money. At one point, the suspect controlling the lobby walked to one of the teller windows and stated that he did not want any dye packs. The suspects fled in a green Ford Explorer. A shopping center security guard reported that a green Ford Explorer almost hit him while it crossed the intersection at a high rate of speed. The security guard followed the Explorer as it traveled behind the shopping center where both suspects exited the Explorer and entered a red or maroon Ford Expedition. The green Ford Explorer had been reported stolen.

Note: The suspect who controlled the lobby appeared to be the same male wearing the same jacket as the suspect who robbed Wachovia Bank in Virginia Beach on 05/03/2007 robbery.

05/12/2008 Bank of America branch parking lot, 1801 Greenbrier Parkway, Chesapeake, VA

Two male suspects, one identified as a black male, both wearing masks, parked a large 2000 to 2006 black Chevrolet Suburban or GMC Tahoe utility vehicle (SUV) in the parking lot of the Bank of America. A short time later, a Loomis armored vehicle arrived and a guard entered the bank. As the guard exited the bank with bags of money, the suspects blocked the armored car and pulled out a pistol and long gun. The black male suspect pushed one guard to the ground and took the bags containing money. Before the suspects left the parking lot, one disabled the armored vehicle by slashing a tire.

Note: When the suspects initiated the robbery, the unknown white male suspect confronted the driver of the armored vehicle. When he did so, the suspect pulled the mask up covering his face. A bank surveillance camera caught a brief image of the suspect’s face, which was enhanced.

The suspects may be white, black and Hispanic males, who typically act in pairs. The public should be aware of the suspects’ brazen and violent nature. Other characteristics include:

• Brandishing various weapons, including handguns and long-barrel weapons;
• Aggressively handling tellers, others in vicinity;
• Leaving no notes;
• Disguising or concealing themselves with fake beards, hats, scarves, masks, and gloves;
• Using stolen vehicles and/or tags.

Members of the public should consider these individuals armed and extremely dangerous, and should not consider approaching them. Anyone with information should call the Virginia Beach Police Department Detective Bureau at (757) 385-4101, or the Norfolk FBI Office at (757) 455-0100, or the Chesapeake Police Department at (757) 382-6809, as soon as possible. Any detail a caller can provide concerning time, place and physical description will greatly assist law enforcement efforts in capturing the suspects. The Norfolk FBI Field Office, working together with the Virginia Beach Police Department and Chesapeake Police Department, have pooled funds to offer a reward of up to $30,000 for information leading directly to the arrest and conviction of the individuals responsible for these robberies.

The agencies greatly appreciate any assistance the public can provide. Representatives from the participating agencies will announce the above and will be available to answer questions at a press conference, which will be held hosted by the Norfolk FBI Field Office, 150 Corporate Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia, at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, 7/17/2008. Photographs of some of the robberies will be displayed, and provided in electronic format after the press conference.

For further information about the press conference, contact: