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'Ball cap bandit' sought in 10 bank robberies

Posted at 12:43 PM, May 31, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-31 19:23:09-04

Allen Mogavero has been bringing his hard earned money to Chase Bank for years now.

“I’ve been a Chase customer since it was Great Western,” he says.

The idea of the so called ‘Ball Cap Bandit’ trying to earn a quick buck by taking his angers him.

“It sends chills down your spine to even think that somebody like that is out there loose,” he says.

Now, the FBI is trying to bring the bandit to justice.

“He's a high priority for us down here,” says Special Agent Justin Fleck with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Speaking from the FBI's Miami Division Tuesday, Fleck says the bandit has hit 10 banks in the past few months  - from as far north as Stuart to as far south as Miramar.

Half of those banks are in Palm Beach County.

Named for the distinctive head gear he's worn in robbery after robbery, investigators say he walks into the bank handing a note to the teller demanding money.

“In a few cases, he's grabbed a customer that was standing nearby, pulled them over and held the gun against them while he committed the robbery,” Fleck says.

Investigators say so far he's gotten away with more than $10,000

“The amount of money is kind of low, but the violence he's using is very high,” Fleck says. 

Bank customers, like Allen, hope the bandit's crime spree ends soon.

“Hard working people like myself and other people that work at the banks...you have someone like that out there loose...hopefully they can catch him soon,” Mogavero says.

If anyone has information as to the identity of this bank robber, they are urged to call the FBI at (754) 703-2000 or Crimestoppers.

 

EARLIER STORY

The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the so-called "ball cap bandit."

Investigators believe he's responsible for at least 10 bank robberies in South Florida over the past 6 months.

Half of those robberies were in Palm Beach County, one was in Martin County and four were in Broward County.

The FBI says the bank robber should be considered armed and dangerous.