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Culprit of Iowa bank robbery believed to be ‘AK-47 Bandit’

An armed robbery that happened in northern Iowa is one police believe was at the hand of a man referred to as the “AK-47 Bandit.”
AK-47 Bandit, photo from FBI
Culprit of Iowa bank robbery believed to be ‘AK-47 Bandit’

An armed robbery that happened in northern Iowa is one police believe was at the hand of a man referred to as the “AK-47 Bandit.”

The Heartland Community Credit Union in Mason City, Iowa was robbed around 9:55 a.m. Tuesday, July 28, 2015, according to a statement from the FBI. The robber, armed with an AK-47 with a high capacity drum magazine, was alone and was described as a white man with a medium build standing between 5-feet, 9-inches and 6-feet tall.

Further description indicated that he may have had blue eyes, been between 20 and 40 years old, and was wearing a black ski mask and gloves, according to the FBI’s statement.

After taking an undisclosed amount of money, the FBI says the man left in a 2007-2009 model black or dark-colored Toyota Camry LE.

“It is believed in past robberies [the] suspect has used a dark Nissan Maxima with Chrome door handles,” the statement said.

The FBI said they believe this is the same man who has committed previous robberies in different places around the country. 

In a statement about the AK-47 Bandit, police outlined his previous robberies, with his first believed to have been in Chino, California in February of 2012. During this robbery, the FBI says the AK-47 Bandit “shot and seriously wounded a police officer while making his escape.”

The FBI has posted a map that indicates all of the banks the AK-47 Bandit is believed to have hit.

AK-47 Bandit-map, Picture from FBI

“He has shown he is not afraid to shoot someone, and experience tells us he is not going to stop robbing banks until we catch him,” said Special Agent Kevin Boles in September of 2014. “We feel like we are racing the clock on this guy… If we don’t get him soon, things could end badly and someone else might get hurt.”

If you have any information about Tuesday’s robbery in northern Iowa you are asked to call police. If you believe you see the suspect’s vehicle, police advise you “do not approach as the suspect is considered armed and dangerous;” call police immediately.

“A reward of up to $100,000 is being offered in exchange for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect who shot and wounded a Chino police officer after robbing a bank in 2012,” said the FBI statement on Wednesday, July 29, “and who has since been linked to four bank robberies and one attempt in multiple states using an assault rifle.”

Click here to see the Wanted Poster for the AK-47 Bandit

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