Maryland

FBI Offers $10K Reward to Nab ‘Beltway Bank Bandit'

The Bandit wore various disguises during 20 different robberies

A man dubbed the "Beltway Bank Bandit" has robbed 20 banks in the D.C. area in the past year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation says.

The FBI announced Friday it increased the reward from $5,000 to $10,000 for any information that could lead to the Bandit's caputre.

From Dec. 2017 to Monday, the Bandit has hit up banks in Northern Virginia, Maryland and D.C.

The still-unidentified thief wears accessories like baseball caps, wigs, gloves, hoodies and even a hijab to disguies himself, the FBI said.

In one instance, he was seen with a single crutch, and he has also appeared with a skirt and cross-body bag, according to the FBI.

Most recently, the suspect wore an orange construction hard hat, a blue medical mask and sunglasses during a robbery at Capital One Bank on Columbia Pike in Arlington on Monday.

The Bandit walked into the bank in the early afternoon, handed the teller a note and showed a handgun. Police say he fled the bank before receiving any money.

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His behavior is usually the same — the Bandit enters a bank and passes the teller a threatening note demanding money, growing impatient if the teller takes too long. He has taken out a gun during several robberies, the FBI said.

In at least two robberies, the Bandit took off in a car driven by a woman, but in most cases he runs off on foot.

Authorities described him as a black man in his 20s to 30s who is between 5 feet 7 inches to 6 feet 2 inches and weighs about 160-170 pounds.

Anyone who has any information can call the FBI Washington Field Office at (202) 278-2000 or submit a tip at https://tips.fbi.gov.

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