'Serial Bank Robber' Strikes Again

A Royal Oak bank is the latest target of a "serial bank robber," who also is a suspect in a Jan. 28 bank robbery in Berkley, according to Federal Bureau of Investigations officials. 

On Friday, a man entered the Citizen’s Bank at 800 S. Main St. with a handgun and got away with an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect matches the description of a masked man believed to have robbed several banks in the area, according to FBI spokesperson Simon Shaykhet.

Since December, five other banks in Oakland County, including two on Main Street in Royal Oak, have been robbed. The other robberies occurred in Madison Heights and Birmingham and at the Charter One bank on Woodward Avenue in Berkley. 

Royal Oak Police Chief Corrigan O'Donohue said at this time the Royal Oak Police Department does not have a lot of details to release on Friday's bank robbery.  

"We are working with the FBI on this investigation," he said.

FBI offers $2,500 reward

for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the robber, who officials say also is a suspect the following nearby robberies.

• Dec. 20: PNC Bank, 28841 John R in Madison Heights
• Dec. 26: PNC Bank, 225 S. Main in Royal Oak
• Jan. 15: Charter One, 200 S. Main St. in Royal Oak
• Jan. 28: Charter One, 27897 Woodward Ave. in Berkley
• Feb. 8: Comerica Bank at 1712 W. Maple in Birmingham

He also may have been involved in the Dec. 18 robbery of the 7-Eleven at 815 W. 11 Mile Road in Madison Heights, the FBI said.

The suspect is described as male between 5-feet 8-inches and 6-feet tall with a medium build, the FBI said. During the Berkley robbery, he was dressed all in black and wore a mask that obscured most of his face, Berkley Public Safety Deputy Director Robert North said.

Contact the FBI at 313-965-2323, Crime Stoppers at 800-SPEAKUP (800-773-2587), the Berkley Public Safety Department at 248-658-3380, the Royal Oak Police Department at 248-246-3500 or your local police department if you have information to report.