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"Straw Hat Bandit" strikes North Wales bank

Published  July 2, 2016 6:41pm EDT
U.S.
FOX 29 Philadelphia

NORTH WALES, PA - The search is on for a serial bandit. The FBI needs the public's help to find the man who has robbed 10 local banks since 2012, and he's no ordinary criminal.

Dubbed the "Straw Hat Bandit" for a previous disguise, now Montgomery Township Police Department are seeking to identify and locate the man responsible for an armed robbery Saturday morning at a PNC Bank branch located at 1216 Welsh Road, North Wales, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

This happened at approximately 10:10 a.m., when the suspect entered the bank.

Police say he displayed a black semi-automatic handgun, ordered customers to the floor, and demanded money from tellers.

After obtaining an undisclosed amount of cash, the subject fled the area of the bank on foot.

Police tell us the suspect is believed also responsible for the following robberies:

6/8/2012 - Colonial American Bank; 300 Welsh Road - Horsham, Pennsylvania
9/28/2012 - First Federal Bank; 803 Park Avenue - Wrightstown, Pennsylvania
1/18/2013 - Wells Fargo Bank; 706 Stony Hill Road - Yardley, Pennsylvania
3/30/2013 - PNC Bank; 1015 South Bethlehem Pike - Ambler, Pennsylvania
5/24/2013 - Harleysville Savings Bank; 1889 East Ridge Pike - Royersford, Pennsylvania
5/24/2013 - Univest Bank; 4285 Township Line Road - Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
8/30/2013 - Wells Fargo Bank; 25 West Skippack Pike - Ambler, Pennsylvania
1/2/2014 - First Priority Bank; 10 Sentry Parkway - Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
1/6/2015 - Wells Fargo Bank; 481 West Germantown Pike - Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania
7/3/2015 - Wells Fargo Bank; 1675 Limekiln Pike - Dresher, Pennsylvania


The susoect is described as a white male in his 50s or older, approximately 6'-6'2" tall, muscular to stocky build. He was wearing a dark-colored suit jacket over a light-colored dress shirt and navy tie, dark-colored pants and shoes, and white rubber gloves. He concealed his appearance with a tan hat and a makeshift mask of fabric with eyeholes cut out.

This subject is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information about these robberies or this subject is urged to call the FBI at 215-418-4000 or the Montgomery Township Police Department at 215-362-2301.