Bank Robbed By New Lenox Car Dealer Who Tried Shooting Joliet Cop: FBI

JOLIET, IL — A federal criminal complaint charging 47-year-old Joliet resident Victor Barakat with committing a bank robbery last month at the Rolling Meadows Fifth Third Bank also reveals the events that led to the Will County State's Attorney's filing two charges of attempted murder of a police officer against the New Lenox used car dealership owner.

Barakat also used one of the cars with a large, noticeable dent from his small dealership as his getaway vehicle for the suburban bank robbery, the FBI investigation showed.

According to FBI special agent Robert Aronson, Barakat robbed the Fifth Third Bank using a silver handgun at 5:04 p.m. on Feb. 8. The FBI and other police agencies identified Barakat as the robber. Barakat left his smartphone on the teller counter during the bank robbery.

On Tuesday, Joliet Patch broke another exclusive story, reporting that Barakat is being charged in Will County with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, disarming a peace officer and two counts of aggravated assault. Police allege Barakat attempted to fire a shot at one Joliet police officer and tried to take another officer's gun.

The FBI's bank robbery investigation took authorities to Bolingbrook, New Lenox and Joliet.

According to the FBI, Barakat demanded one of the tellers give him all they had and not to do anything stupid. The teller replied they did not have a teller drawer because they were training. The bank robber turned to another teller, who told him they did not have keys to the drawer.

Barakat told the teller they had 60 seconds to give him all they had in large denomination bills, or he would "blow this place up," the complaint states. The teller retrieved keys, unlocked a drawer, and put money into Barakat's duffel bag. As he walked to the exit, the tellers pushed their emergency alarm buttons, according to the FBI.

Fifth Third Bank found Barakat received $224 from the teller, and he dropped $64 of that money on the floor. Bank surveillance video showed the Joliet man put his black smartphone on the teller counter during his robbery and left it there before leaving. Barakat had parked a gold Camry with damage to the rear bumper at the McDonald's restaurant near the bank.

Videos obtained by the FBI from the red light cameras at New Wilke and Algonquin roads showed the temporary license tags registered back to KB Motors in New Lenox, and the registered owner of KB Motors is Victor Ali Barakat.

The business website had the same gold 2005 Toyota Camry listed for sale. Only seven vehicles were listed on the website for sale.

At 12:15 p.m. on Feb. 9, FBI agents had the gold Toyota Camry towed from KB Motors in New Lenox to the FBI evidence lot on West Roosevelt Road in Chicago, where it remains. Authorities also learned that Barakat previously worked for about six months, back around 2021, at Discovery Auto Sales in New Lenox on Maple Street.

An employee there positively identified Barakat as the bank robber after reviewing bank surveillance photos. The FBI learned that his driver's license lists Barakat as living in Bolingbrook, but the FBI found he sold the Bolingbrook home last July.

"Upon dialing the number (associated with the home sale), the black smartphone recovered from the Fifth Third Bank teller counter began to ring. The black smartphone displayed the FBI agent’s phone number as the caller,"the bank robbery complaint showed. "Separately, the black smartphone, while in the possession of the FBI, received multiple calls from the number ... between approximately 5:25 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., within 30 minutes of the bank robbery. A LexisNexis public records search of the number ... revealed that it is associated with Victor Barakat."

Around midnight on Feb. 9, the FBI tried to arrest Barakat by pretending someone found his smartphone in the grassy area near the McDonald's and the person wanted to meet up with him at a nearby gas station to give it back.

With several police cars waiting nearby to arrest him, Barakat pulled up in a maroon sedan, but soon sped away on Algonquin Road upon seeing several police cars with activating their emergency lights to stop him.

"In the interest of public safety, LEOs did not pursue the vehicle," the federal charges reflect.

Four nights later, authorities re-grouped and came up with another plan to arrest Barakat at his condominium in Joliet. Joliet Police went to Barakat's residence in the 400 block of Timber Pointe Drive, which is near the frontage road and Interstate 55.

Barakat opened his condominium door and Joliet police asked his name.

"Victor," he said.

As Barakat stood on the front step of his condominium, one Joliet police official reached out to shake Barakat's hand, and Barakat shook his hand. Joliet police told Barakat he was under arrest and tried to put him in custody.

Barakat reached into his left pants pocket and pulled out his silver semi-automatic handgun, according to police.

With his left hand, Barakat raised the gun at the Joliet officer who was clasping his right hand in the handshake, police said. Officers heard the gun click as Barakat pointed it at them.

The Will County criminal complaint states that Barakat tried to kill a Joliet police sergeant and that his gun had five live rounds of ammunition in the magazine, but no bullets in the chamber at the time he tried to pull the trigger and shoot the Joliet police sergeant.

The incident was captured on the Joliet police's body cameras, the FBI noted. After the suspect was subdued, Joliet police brought him back to a squad car, where Barakat grabbed another Joliet officer's holstered gun and tried to remove it, according to Joliet police officials.

The Will County attempted murder complaint states that Barakat was convicted 20 years ago, in 2003, of armed robbery in Cook County.

Barakat remains in federal custody facing the bank robbery charge. In Will County, he will face attempted murder of a police officer charges and his bail remains set at $2.5 million.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

Bank Robbery Suspect Tries To Shoot Joliet Police Officer: English