image description

Arrest made in connection with recent bank robberies

May 4th, 2018 by WCBC Radio

 On 12/08/2017, at 9:27 AM, the Cumberland Police responded to First United Bank, on Harrison Street in Cumberland, after a hold up alarm was received from that location. The first arriving officers learned that a lone male suspect had entered the bank, approached a teller, and presented a note demanding money. The teller complied with the demand and gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect then exited the bank and fled the area on foot.

 

            On 04/16/2018, at 9:04 AM, the Cumberland Police responded to the M&T Bank, located in Rose's Plaza in Cumberland, after a hold up alarm was received from that location. The first arriving officers learned that a lone male suspect had entered the bank, approached a teller, displayed a handgun, and demanded money from the teller. The teller complied with the demand and gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect then exited the bank and fled the area on foot.

 

            In both instances the Cumberland Police responded to the scene, and with the assistance of allied law enforcement agencies, searched the area, but did not locate the suspect at that time.

 

            Follow up investigation was turned over to the Allegany County Combined Criminal Investigation Unit (C3I). Investigators learned that there had been a robbery in Frederick, Maryland on 03/16/2018, at 9:07 AM, at the PNC Bank on West Patrick Street.

 

            In all three cases the banks were robbed shortly after opening for the day, and the basic description of the suspect was the same, a white male wearing what was believed to be a fake beard, a hoodie, sunglasses, and other items to try to conceal his identity.

 

            After each robbery, C3I Investigators reviewed surveillance video from the bank and from nearby businesses. After the M & T robbery, Investigators developed a suspect vehicle. They soon discovered that it was displaying stolen tags on it.

 

            Investigators were able to determine a make and model on the suspect vehicle. Knowing the color, they were able to narrow down the number of vehicles of that make, model, and color that were registered in the State of Maryland. Investigators soon learned that the stolen tags had been reported stolen in the same neighborhood as one of the registered vehicles that matched the suspect vehicle.

 

 

            With this information, Investigators from a variety of different law enforcement agencies, including the Frederick Police Department, the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, the Baltimore County Police, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and C3I began maintaining surveillance on the suspect and his vehicle.

 

            On 05/04/2018, at approximately 6:30 AM, the suspect left his residence in Baltimore County and headed west on Interstate 70. At approximately 9:15 AM he exited his vehicle and approached a bank on West Patrick Street in Frederick. At that point the suspect was taken into custody without incident.

 

            The suspect has been identified as 52 year old Gary Edward Barnett of Dundalk, Maryland. He has been charged in Frederick County with two counts of  Robbery, two counts of Theft, and related charges.

 

            Additional charges in Allegany County are pending for both the robbery at First United and the robbery at M & T.

 

            Investigators are currently preparing search warrants for both Barnett's vehicle, and his residence in Dundalk, in order to recover additional evidence related to the crimes.

 

            The investigation is continuing by C3I.

 

 

Leave a Reply