By Tamas Mondovics
A series of recent bank robberies, that included one of the Brandon area banks the suspect hit twice, has come to an end.
According to law enforcement officials, the robberies occurred between November 2013 and June 2014, identifying the suspect as a white male who disguised himself in a full body painter’s suit as he entered the bank at 821 E Bloomingdale Ave., confronted the teller implying he had a bomb.
To bring the crime streak to an end, Crime Stoppers received a tip regarding a possible suspect.Â
Investigators with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Bay Regional Office of Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that the suspect identified in the tip, Matthew Donald Maxwell, 29, fit the profile for the suspect in the series of robberies.
Banks involved in the robberies included:
-Fifth Third Bank – 1020 Hwy. 41 N., Ruskin (1/16/14)Â Â Â
-Fifth Third Bank – 3402 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Brandon (2/4/14)
-PNC Bank – 821 Bloomingdale Ave. E., Brandon (3/18/14 & 6/16/14)Â Â
-Railroad & Industrial FCU – 4373 Lynx Paw Trail, Valrico (5/30/14)
Information was provided to detectives with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office who were able to have two witnesses from a November 2013 robbery positively identify Maxwell via a photo line-up.Â
Sarasota County detectives subsequently obtained an arrest warrant for Maxwell in July for Bank Robbery.Â
Investigators obtained information from a source that Maxwell was on vacation in Atlanta, Ga. and he was located and taken into custody there in late July by Atlanta law enforcement.Â
After his arrest, a court authorized search warrant was obtained for Maxwell’s residence in the Sulphur Springs area of Tampa. During the search, investigators located a large sum of money in a secret compartment within the residence, along with several other items of evidentiary value.
Investigators responded to Atlanta on Wednesday, July 30 and interviewed Maxwell, who made a full confession to numerous bank robberies in the area. Maxwell was held in Atlanta, Ga. awaiting extradition.
The investigation continues.
For more information, visit www.hcso.tampa.fl.us.
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