Bank Robber Identified By Ex-Friend, Girlfriend, Own Mother: FBI

CHICAGO — A tip from a former friend led investigators to the man who robbed a Northbrook bank earlier this month, according to the FBI. The tipster recognized the robber from an image from bank surveillance cameras released by police, and the man's identity was later confirmed by bank tellers, his co-workers, girlfriend and mother, according to an affidavit in support of the charges.

Ramie Awawdeh, 43, is charged with stealing $1,410 from the Fifth Third Bank at 1300 Meadow Road on June 3. Awawdeh came into the bank shortly before 4 p.m. and loitered around for a bit until a specific teller was available. That's when he walked up and placed a piece of paper down on the counter, according to the affidavit from FBI agent Herbert Hogberg.

"I want to cash this check," the robber said, according to accounts from both tellers included in the affidavit.

Northbrook police would later find a note at the scene with the following demands:

THIS IS A ROBBERY
I HAVE A GUN
GIVE ME LOOSE BILLS
50's 100's
NO DYEPACKS
NO BUNDLES
I WILL SHOOT

The teller tried to slow him down, trying to only hand over small bills, investigators were told. The other teller thought it was odd their co-worker had gone straight to the cash door without any discussion with the customer, according to the affidavit. After about 10 seconds, the other teller recalled hearing the robber say, "That's it. That's it. Vamos. Vamos."

After the robbery, Northbrook police sent information about the robbery to other law enforcement agencies and local media. One of the tips provided to investigators came from a former friend of Awawdeh, who said the image of the robber captured on surveillance video looked like his acquaintance.

Police learned Awawdeh lived in Des Plaines and provided a copy of the video to an officer there. The Des Plaines cop told Northbrook investigators they had known Awawdeh to wear a Chicago Bears hat and his mannerisms and appearance matched the robber on the bank surveillance video. According to the FBI, the officer said they were "certain the robber was Awawdeh" after seeing the video.

On Wednesday, the FBI carried out a photographic lineup with both tellers. One said they were 90 percent certain when they picked Awawdeh's image out of the lineup. The other teller said they were 60 percent certain.

The same day, investigators spoke to Awawdeh himself. He denied any involvement in the robbery and claimed to have been at work at the time. But during the interview, Awawdeh gave investigators permission to search his cell phone, where they found a photo of him wearing what appeared to be the same Chicago Bears baseball cap seen on the robber.

Later that day, the FBI interviewed two supervisors at the job where Awawdeh said he was working at the time, where he had quit May 1 and was rehired five days after the robbery on June 8, according to the affidavit. One supervisor said the robber "looks like Ramie," and the other said they were 90 percent certain it was the same man.

Agents also interviewed Awawdeh's mother and girlfriend on the day of his arrest. They both identified him as the robber in the video. His girlfriend also explained Awawdeh had recently been talking about having issues involving money.

An FBI spokesperson declined to confirm Awawdeh's exact age or disclose the location of his arrest.

According to Illinois Department of Corrections records, a 43-year-old Ramie Awawdeh served several stints in Illinois state prison over the past 25 years, starting with a 1994 home burglary conviction. The vast majority of his subsequent convictions were for retail theft. Awawdeh was paroled last September on his most recent conviction. His sentence had been due to be terminated on Sept. 11.

Awawdeh is being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago. He had been due to appear before Magistrate Judge Young Kim Friday, but the U.S. Marshal Service told the judge Awawdeh refused to appear due to an unspecified medical issue, according to court records. He is due back in court June 24.