Wisconsin Bankers Association: Offers robbery reward of $10,000

For more information, contact:
Eric Skrum
, Wisconsin Bankers Association, 608/441-1216, eskrum@wisbank.com
Cedarburg Police Department,
262-375-7620

Information sought leading to arrest, conviction of Cedarburg bank robber


(MADISON) – The Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) is offering a reward up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the bank robbery in Cedarburg.

Monday, June 29, a man, originally thought to be in his 50s or 60s but may actually be in his 40s, entered the Commerce State Bank and forced three employees and one bank customer into a back room before leaving with an undisclosed amount of money. He is described as white and about 5-foot-6, wearing a false beard, sunglasses and a blue suit with tie and a dark baseball cap with an emblem stating U.S. Navy. The man left behind a package that resembled a bomb and escaped in a stolen vehicle which was subsequently abandoned a few blocks away.

Anyone with information concerning these robberies is urged to contact the Cedarburg Police at
262-375-7620
.

“This reward is offered to provide another tool for law enforcement. Bank robbers are dangerous individuals who put the public and bank employees at risk,” explained WBA president/CEO Kurt Bauer. “WBA and its members are committed to actions that bring these individuals to justice and deliver the message that robberies are not going to be tolerated.”

The WBA has had a robbery reward program since the 1930s; at one point even donating “tommy guns” to local law enforcement to combat bank robberies. The Robbery Reward Fund provides rewards through law enforcement to individuals who identify anyone wanted in connection with a bank robbery or other crime committed at a bank location, including automated teller machine (ATM) sites if that information leads to the arrest and conviction of the individuals responsible for the robbery.

The WBA reminds would-be criminals that it is a federal crime to rob a federally insured depository institution and that 90 percent of all bank robbers are caught.