A man in Illinois who robbed at least 10 banks across five states turned himself in to the FBI on Wednesday. The bank robber was nicknamed the “I-55 Bandit” due to the fact that initially he exclusively targeted banks along the I-55 corridor near St. Louis.
The FBI have been trying to catch up with the young bank robber for some time. Earlier this week, in a somewhat desperate plea to the public, the FBI released the following statement:
“The FBI is asking for the public’s help to identify the ‘I-55 Bandit.’ Since May 6, 2013, he may have robbed 10 banks and attempted to rob two others in five states: Illinois, Missouri, Maryland, West Virginia, and Tennessee. In all the completed robberies, the subject used a demand note and implied he was armed. No one was physically injured. The amounts of money taken are not being disclosed.”
The authorities noted that the media hype surrounding the I-55 bank robber probably caused him to surrender before he was caught. The suspect’s name is Andrew Maberry, and he is just 19-years-old.
Maberry showed up at the FBI’s office in St. Louis, admitting that he was the man they were looking for. He has been formally charged with one count of bank robbery.
Special Agent Dean C. Bryant released a statement thanking the media for their assistance in covering the I-55 bank robber case :
“We want to thank the news media and digital billboard companies for providing coverage on the I-55 Bandit. We have no doubt Maberry’s surrender was a direct result of the extensive media attention. We also appreciate the dozens of solid tips we were provided by the public. The FBI has long relied on the public to help identify and capture criminals.”
