FBI/MPD Violent Crimes Task Force Arrest Three Men Who Attempted to Rob an Armored Car |
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FBI Washington Division, Public Information Office
February 16, 2011
More than 70 law enforcement officers, led by the FBI/MPD Violent Crimes Task Force, recently arrested three individuals now charged with bank robbery after attempting to steal bank funds from an armored truck, announced James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
FBI and MPD law enforcement officers arrested three armed individuals at approximately 10 a.m. on February 12, after the trio was observed following a Brink’s Inc, armored truck for several blocks and then approaching the vehicle on foot as it slowed to a stop in Northeast Washington, D.C. The FBI Washington Field Office SWAT team took the three armed individuals into custody safely within a matter of minutes. An AK-47 and two handguns were confiscated at the scene.
The three individuals, Ricardo Hunter, 53, and Daniel Chapman, 23, of Washington, D.C., and Nathaniel Bailey, 57, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, have been detained since their arrests. On Tuesday, they were indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for bank robbery. The charges of bank robbery carry a prison term of up to 25 years. The armored car robbery was the 12th incident in Washington, D.C. in the past 11 months.
“These crimes usually occur in broad daylight and have a high potential for violence because there are often weapons brought to the scene,” said Assistant Director McJunkin. “Usually more than one person is involved in these robberies, and planning is involved, so we are urging the public to help us by stepping forward with information, even if offered anonymously, to give our task force members the best intelligence available to stay ahead of these criminals and keep our community safe.”
“Armored car transport is a vital component in many fields and industries in the city,” said Chief Lanier. “However, these vehicles present an allure to criminals who are looking for a quick pay day. The recent arrests should demonstrate to these crooks that we’re on to them.”
Mr. McJunkin and Chief Lanier praised members of the FBI/MPD Violent Crimes Task Force, which also includes the U.S. Marshals Service, for their persistence. Though the general public may know little about the increase in armored car robberies in the past year, they noted, the 30-plus members of the FBI/MPD Violent Crime Task Force has been aggressively working to keep Washington, D.C. neighborhoods safe.
Of the 12 incidents in the past year, suspects have been arrested on charges related to four of the incidents. In the other eight incidents, task force members have identified patterns and are actively working a multitude of promising leads. Anyone who believes they may have information which can assist law enforcement in their investigations of armored car robberies is asked to call the FBI at 202-278-2000.