The Toronto Police Service would like to make the public aware of an arrest in a multiple bank robbery investigation.
It is alleged that:
- between Thursday, August 2, 2012, and Friday, June 20, 2014, 16 banks in the downtown area were robbed,
- the early robberies were performed by passing a note to the teller, demanding money
- the later robberies escalated in violence, involving assaults, knives and firearms
- as the behaviour changed, so did the disguise
- the suspect had been dubbed the "Thriller Bandit," the "Joker Bandit," and the "Mummy Bandit"
On Thursday, July 3, 2014, at approximately 5:45 p.m., as a result of an investigation generated by tips from the public, Brandon Michael Smith, 26, of Toronto, was arrested.
It is further alleged that he is responsible for all 16 robberies.
He is charged with:
1) 10 counts of Robbery with Firearm
2) six counts of Robbery
3) nine counts of Disguise with Intent
4) nine counts of Weapons Dangerous
5) two counts of Assault with a Weapon
He is scheduled to appear in court at Old City Hall, on Friday, July 4, 2014, at 10 a.m.
The Toronto Police Service would like to thank the media and the public for their assistance.
Please see excerpt of previous news release from Monday, June 23, 2014:
It is alleged that:
- between Thursday, August 2, 2012, and Friday, June 20, 2014, 16 banks in the downtown area were robbed,
- the early robberies were performed by passing a note to the teller, demanding money
- the later robberies escalated in violence, involving assaults, knives and firearms
- as the behaviour changed, so did the disguise
- the suspect had been dubbed the "Thriller Bandit," the "Joker Bandit," and the "Mummy Bandit"
On Thursday, July 3, 2014, at approximately 5:45 p.m., as a result of an investigation generated by tips from the public, Brandon Michael Smith, 26, of Toronto, was arrested.
It is further alleged that he is responsible for all 16 robberies.
He is charged with:
1) 10 counts of Robbery with Firearm
2) six counts of Robbery
3) nine counts of Disguise with Intent
4) nine counts of Weapons Dangerous
5) two counts of Assault with a Weapon
He is scheduled to appear in court at Old City Hall, on Friday, July 4, 2014, at 10 a.m.
The Toronto Police Service would like to thank the media and the public for their assistance.
Please see excerpt of previous news release from Monday, June 23, 2014:
On Tuesday, April 15, 2014, Toronto Police Hold Up held a news conference requesting the public's assistance with a series of several outstanding bank robberies.
In one series of robberies, a person was dubbed the "Mummy bandit." Investigators now believe there has been additional bank robberies attributed to this suspect and police are releasing those images.
It is reported that:
- between October 2013 and today, the suspect has robbed ten banks in the downtown core
- on Tuesday, April 22, 2014, at 2 p.m., he entered a branch located in the area of Fort York Boulevard and Spadina Avenue
- he went behind the teller's counter, pulled out a handgun and displayed it around as he demanded money
- the suspect grabbed a quantity of money and fled the area
- on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, at 12:15 p.m., he attended a bank branch in the area of College Street & Bathurst Street
- he was armed with a handgun and went behind the teller's wicket, demanded a quantity of money and threatened the victims
- after receiving the money, he fled the area towards Bathurst Street
- on Monday, June 2, 2014 at 4:45 p.m., he attended a bank branch in the King Street West and Strachan Avenue area
- during the robbery he was armed with a handgun and a knife
- he held the knife to an employee's throat while making his demands for cash
- on Friday, June 20, 2014, at 5:45 p.m., the a man entered a bank in the area of Broadview Avenue and Danforth Avenue
- the man walked behind the tellers counter and demanded a quantity of cash
- he was armed with a handgun and a yellow box cutter style knife
- he was given a quantity of money and fled the area
He is described as white, 20-30, 5'6"-5'10", with short black hair. He was wearing a white and black baseball cap with a brass knuckles logo, and had earrings in both ears.