Bank Bandit Nabbed Thanks to Evergreen Park Patch Reader's Tip: FBI

A 44-year-old Chicago man suspected of robbing four banks was nabbed at a Dolton motel after a tipster recognized him from a story on Patch, the FBI said.

Martez Jackson appeared in federal court last week, where he was charged with robbing the Byline Bank, 4850 W. 87th St., in Burbank on Jan. 9.

He is also a suspect in Morgan Park, Mt. Greenwood and Bridgeview bank heists, according to the FBI-run website BanditTrackerChicago.

According to the criminal complaint, a teller was working inside the bank when she a man walking south on Lamon Avenue towards 87th Street carrying a white bag. The man entered the bank announcing, “who’s gonna help me.”

• Also on Patch: Bank Bandit Robs Burbank Byline Branch: Police

The bandit, described as black man with a large build, walked up to the teller counter around 10:48 a.m. The teller told investigators that Jackson held open the white plastic bag and demanded all the “fifties and hundreds,” the FBI said.

Realizing that the bank was being robbed, the teller took out the loose bills from her drawer and the drawer for the drive-thru window, and handed them over to the robber.

As the teller was gathering the money, Jackson allegedly stated, “no, no, I want everything.” After the teller gave him smaller denominations, Jackson left the bank, turning west on 87th Street, then running north on Lamon Avenue, the complaint said.

• Also on Patch: FBI Connects the Dots Between Two South Side Bank Robberies

The teller further described the suspect in the complaint as six feet tall, weighing 210 pounds, with a round face that had stubble on it. The robber was wearing a black winter beanie style hat, with a green and red stripe and a gold Gucci on the front.

The bandit was dressed in dark colored pants and black, waist-length jacket with a lighter-colored shirt underneath, the complaint said.

The teller said the robber carried a thick, white plastic bag with a smaller produce-type bag inside. An audit determined that the bandit got away with $7,088, according to the FBI.

• Also on Patch: Bandit in Good Mood Robs Mt. Greenwood Bank: FBI

A resident who lived approximately one block away from Byline Bank on Lamon Avenue told Burbank police that she had earlier observed a man matching the robber’s description and dressed in similar attire, parking a light blue hatchback car.

The resident watched the man exit the car carrying a white plastic bag and walk south on Lamon Avenue. A short time later he returned, entered the driver’s side and drove off, the complaint said.

After canvassing the neighborhood, Burbank police began reviewing video from various surveillance cameras at the corner of 83rd Street and Lamon Avenue, north of the bank. A light blue car believed to a Hyundai stationwagon was seen traveling north and turning east on 83rd Street around 10:52 a.m.

• Also on Patch: Bandit Wearing Nice Jacket Hits Morgan Park Bank: FBI

Following the robbery, the FBI published surveillance images and the Burbank Police Department sent out a press release about the robbery, but did not include information about the blue car, the complaint said.

A few days later, on Jan. 11, a tipster contacted the FBI and said that the individual resembled a co--worker at his Franklin Park company. According to the complaint, the tipster he only knew the co-worker by the name “Martez,” but said he wore a Gucci skull cap and drove a light blue Hyundai station wagon.

The FBI said a second tipster also came forward, who recognized Jackson’s photo on Evergreen Park Patch in a story about a suspect wanted in multiple bank robberies by contributor Burbank Beat.

The second tipster also recognized Jackson from work, and told the FBI that she last saw him on Jan. 8 driving away in his blue Hyundai Elantra Touring stationwagon. She also identified Jackson from surveillance photos from the Byline Bank, the complaint said.

The FBI said the second tipster also recognized clothing worn by the suspect in the various robberies, including the Gucci skull cap, jacket and tan Timberland boots.

Illinois Secretary of State records confirmed Jackson’s vehicle as a blue 2011 Hyundai stationwagon, as well as his driver’s license, the feds said.

The FBI arrested Jackson during a traffic stop after they saw him the Best Motel and Suites in Dolton in his blue Hyundai.

According to the complaint, Jackson admitted to the Byline Bank robbery in Burbank. He is also a suspect in three other robberies, including:

• US Bank, 11159 S. Kedzie Ave., Chicago - Dec. 5
• US Bank, 11150 S. Western Ave., Chicago - Dec. 14
• Byline Bank, 8601 S. Harlem Ave., Bridgeview - Jan. 2

Jackson has not been charged in those robberies, described as non-takeover heists by the FBI. He is currently being held in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago.

BanditTrackerChicago said the FBI was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to a conviction of the person responsible for the robberies.