U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
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U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation |
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| In Reply, Please Refer to Release No. |
219 South Dearborn Street Chicago, Illinois 60604 |
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May 23, 2002 Four Charged in North Side Bank Robbery Thomas J Kneir, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Terry G. Hillard, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) announced today that federal criminal charges have been filed against four men in connection with the robbery Tuesday afternoon of the First Commercial Bank, located at 2201 West Howard Street in Chicago. MARCEL GRANT, age 22, of 134 Elmwood, Evanston, Illinois; ROBERT L. BELL, age 31, of 744 Dobson, Evanston, Illinois; WALTER D. TURNER, age 25, of 3903 West Monroe in Chicago and NARADA T. ABRAHAMS, age 21, of Orlando, Florida, were all charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago yesterday with conspiracy to commit bank robbery, a felony offense. According to the complaint, GRANT and TURNER entered the bank shortly after 1:00 PM Tuesday afternoon. While TURNER, who was armed with a handgun, held bank employees and customers at bay, GRANT jumped over the teller's counter and took in excess of $3600.00 from a teller's drawer. Both men fled the bank and entered a waiting vehicle that was driven by BELL and occupied by ABRAHAM. Chicago Police Officers responding to the robbery obtained a detailed description of the getaway vehicle from witnesses, which was relayed over police communications. Alert Officers, on routine patrol, spotted the vehicle driving southbound on Lake Shore Drive near Lawrence Avenue. After stopping the vehicle, a weapon and cash linked to the robbery were discovered. All four occupants of the vehicle, subsequently identified as GRANT, BELL, TURNER and ABRAHAMS, were taken into custody. Further investigation by the FBI and CPD linked the four men to the robbery. They were taken into custody by the FBI, late Tuesday evening, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Geraldine Soat Brown, Wednesday afternoon, at which time they were ordered held without bond pending their next scheduled court appearance. The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. EDITOR'S NOTE: A copy of the criminal complaint filed in this case is available from the Chicago FBI Press Office at (312) 786-2645. |
