BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont authorities are investigating a rash of bank robberies in recent weeks, the most recent coming Thursday in Alburgh. All five heists appear to involve a loan male without a weapon. Police have so far not said whether they believe they are connected and are still combing through leads.
“We’re working, like I said, with all of the other five agencies to see if there are any similarities and compare and contrast what we have,” said Essex Police Det. Cpl. Brett Williger.
The recent string of robberies started in Essex on February 28th when police say an unknown man entered M&T bank, slipped a note to the teller demanding money, and took off with an undisclosed amount of cash. “At this point, we believe that illegal drugs are the motivating factor in this case,” Williger said.
Three similar incidents have happened in the last week — at North Country Federal Credit Union in Alburgh on Thursday, and at both TD Bank in Winooski and Community Bank in Burlington just hours apart on Wednesday. Police in Winooski and Burlington did not provide photos of the suspect. The Lamoille County Sheriff’s Office is still working to identify the suspect in a fifth robbery that took place in Johnson back on March 5th.
Christopher D’Elia with the Vermont Bankers Association says it’s likely the incidents are connected. “This is a different level, and unprecedented. I’ve been with the association for 22 years and I’ve never seen a string of bank robberies in a week and a half like we’re seeing right now,” he said. D’Elia says bank employees are trained for situations like these and safety is the top priority.
“Anytime you have an individual standing in front of you that is trying to commit robbery, the recommendation is you follow through on those procedures of turning over funds. You don’t want to put yourself or anybody else in the bank in a situation where harm could occur.”
As the investigation into these robberies continues, D’Elia says some banks are taking it upon themselves to make sure they don’t get hit next. “Some banks have closed their lobbies and have only gone to a drive-up model. The branches are letting folks in one at a time, and I’ve heard of others where the branches are still open and the lobbies are open but they have people who are meeting folks at the door,” he said.
Anyone with information about the robberies is being asked to contact the respective authorities.
Related Stories:
Grand Isle County bank latest hit by robbery
Authorities investigate Burlington-area robbery, attempted robbery
Can you help police identify bank robbery suspect?
Can you help police identify armed robbery suspect?