Serial Wicker Park Armed Robber Gets 11 Years in Prison

CHICAGO, IL - A Chicago man was sentenced to 11 years in prison for several armed robberies at banks and stores on the city’s North Side, including four in the Wicker Park neighborhood.

Blake Fisher-Bruner, 32 held up the businesses at gunpoint and robbed the same bank twice, according to sentencing information from a federal judge in Chicago, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In March, Fisher-Bruner plead guilty to three counts of bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

All of the armed robberies Fisher-Bruner was charged with occurred from April to August of 2014, including one at the Chicago Teacher store at 1855 N. Milwaukee Ave. in which he ordered a cashier to the floor at gunpoint while he stole cash, a children’s book and marker and a heist at the North Community Bank at 1555 N. Damen Ave. when he threatened to shoot tellers if they did not comply with his demands.

He’s also been charged with committing robberies at the North Community Bank at 1600 W. Chicago Ave., the Ember Smoke Shop store at 2827 W. Belden Ave., the 7-Eleven store at 1658 N. Milwaukee AVe., Egor’s Dungeon store at 900 W. Belmont Ave., the MS News store at 2445 N. Clark St. and the Dude I Forgot store at 1400 N. Milwaukee Ave.

“The defendant committed very serious, violent acts,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher V. Parente said during sentencing. “Robberies of any kind, but especially armed robberies, are very serious crimes that terrorize the victims who are standing at the other end of the defendant’s firearm.”

Fisher-Bruner is accused of serving as a lookout in one of the robberies. His girlfriend, Nakesha Scott, 24, of Joliet, has already been convicted in the commission of that crime at the North Community Bank.