Flannel Shirt Gives Away Bandit In Multi-State Bank ID Thefts: Cops

PALOS HEIGHTS, IL — A Chicago Heights man is accused of making over $45,000 worth of withdrawals from customers’ accounts in Illinois and Minnesota. Jason Siegert, 55, was charged with one felony count of aggravated identity theft of a victim over 60.

Palos Heights officers took separate reports from two residents on Sept. 9 and Sept. 18, whose identities were apparently hijacked while both banked at Old National Bank, 12600 S. Harlem Ave.

Detectives worked with fraud investigators at Old National Bank, and were able to link over $45,000 worth of withdrawals at bank branches in Buffalo Grove, Oswego, Aurora, and attempted withdrawals in Frankfort and Schaumburg branches to one man, identified as Siegert, police said.

The investigation eventually extended to the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minn., where Siegert was said to have withdrawn funds using customers’ stolen identities in August. Also, investigators said Siegert was tied to similar acts in the northwest suburbs.

Body-worn camera footage from assisting law enforcement agencies that had previous contact with Siegert matched the surveillance footage collected by Palos Heights investigators due to his distinctive tattoos. Siegert also wore the same flannel shirt in a majority of his crimes, police said.

Phone records for Siegert's phone placed him at the location of all of the identity thefts, according to police. Investigators were in contact with Siegert, who police said agreed to come to the Palos Heights police station on Monday.

Siegert was interviewed by detectives, who said that Siegert made post-miranda admissions to the crimes. He was charged and given a hearing date at the Bridgeview Courthouse.