Police nab

suspect in

bank robbery

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

COURTLAND -- A suspect is in custody for Friday's bank robbery after a search warrant was executed in rural Nicollet County early Monday night, police said.

The 18-year old man is being held in the Brown County Jail pending federal armed robbery charges, New Ulm Police Chief Erv Weinkauf said.

The suspect allegedly walked into a New Ulm bank shortly after noon on Friday, approached tellers and threatened to use a hidden gun if his demands weren't met.

The FBI released still images taken from the bank's security cameras along with a description of the man and an offer for a $10,000 reward for information leading to an indictment and conviction of the alleged robber.

The suspect managed to elude investigators over this past weekend. The FBI said he was last seen leaving Valley Bank and Trust, located at 1803 S. Broadway, just after the robbery happened.

Police spent the better part of Friday searching the wooded area north of the bank and also questioned employees at some nearby businesses but were unable to locate the man.

The search quieted down somewhat over the weekend, as police and federal agents met and began tracking down leads and tips.

The suspect was arrested around 7 p.m. Monday night at a house near Courtland when a team of law enforcement officers executed a search warrant there.

Weinkauf said the team, which included New Ulm police, state troopers, Nicollet County sheriff's deputies, Mankato FBI agents and the Nicollet County Emergency Response Unit, collected an undisclosed amount of evidence at the house, including the money taken in Friday's robbery. Weinkauf declined to say how much money was found inside the house.

The suspect is facing federal armed robbery charges, but has not officially been charged yet. The U.S. Attorney's Office in St. Paul is reviewing the case for possible criminal charges, investigators said.

If and when the suspect appears in court, it will come under federal jurisdiction because bank robbery is a federal crime, even though the bank that got robbed is in the area.

Weinkauf said the investigation into the robbery is still open and said more arrests are possible.