News

MPD hunts for bank robber

The Madison Police Department responded to a robbery at Anchor Bank on Capitol Square Friday morning, and officers believe the suspect may be responsible for several other robberies downtown.

The incident occurred around 11:15 a.m. at 25 West Main St., according to a release from the MPD. The robber, described as a 35-year-old black male about 5 feet 7 inches tall and 140 pounds, implied to a teller that he had a weapon with him, although no weapon was displayed. The suspect fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money, the release said, and no one was injured in the encounter.

"We don't, certainly, want to encourage that sort of crime by announcing how much somebody took from the bank," MPD Lt. David Jugovich said.

According to Jugovich, the next step of this investigation is to work with the FBI and review the surveillance footage to try to formulate patterns that could identify possible suspects.

Assistant District Attorney Mike Verveer said since no weapon was actually shown during the robbery, the penalties for the crime will be less severe.

"The crime of robbery with the use of force is not as severe as robbery with the use of a dangerous weapon," Verveer said. "But they both are very serious felonies that usually, upon conviction, would likely land somebody in prison, especially if they had a prior criminal record."

If convicted of bank robbery, a suspect can either be charged under state or federal law.

Although the FBI will be aiding area authorities with the investigation, Verveer said the majority of the investigatory work has been done by local authorities since Sept. 11, 2001, when the FBI's focus shifted toward larger matters of national security.

"The priorities have shifted to other things for the feds," Verveer said. "We've had at least two major series of robberies that occurred in our area last year, and the individuals responsible for those robberies were all charged in state court."

As a result, many of the penalties were less severe because the federal court system tends to be harsher on robbers, Verveer said.

Last year saw a record number of bank robberies in Dane County. The robbery at Anchor Bank is unique, however, in that it is in close proximity to MPD headquarters, the state Capitol, jail and courthouse.

Citizens with further information on the crime are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at (608) 266-6014.