Alleged Perry Hall Bank Robbers Indicted

BALTIMORE, MD — The couple accused of robbing a bank in Perry Hall last October apparently went on a weeks-long crime spree before getting arrested. The husband and wife were indicted this week on federal charges related to a slew of crimes that began more than a month ahead of the bank robbery on Oct. 23, 2017.

Matthew Dale Bush, 38, and Crystal French, 34, of Graysonville, are accused of stealing ATMs around the region using stolen vehicles between September and October 2017. They spent the proceeds on heroin and other illegal narcotics, according to the indictment.

Bush and French were indicted Thursday on federal charges of robbery, interstate transportation of stolen vehicle and conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States.

The ATM burglaries started in September 2017. On Oct. 8, 2017, Bush and French allegedly used a gray 2004 Dodge Ram truck stolen from Annapolis to steal ATMs in rapid succession, taking one from Shore Stop in Stevensville at 2 a.m. and another from Pep-Up in Cambridge at 3 a.m. In each case, the indictment says they smashed a window at the convenience store, attached a rope or chain to the automated teller machine and drove away to pull it through the window.

The couple married in the midst of the spree, on Oct. 15, 2017, officials said.

A week after they wed, they allegedly drove a 2004 gold Dodge Dakota truck stolen from White Marsh to Harford County, where they demanded money from an unnamed gas station at 12:21 a.m. on Oct. 22, 2017.

Next they drove to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where on Oct. 23, 2017, they set out in a 2006 black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck stolen from Lancaster, Pennyslvania, and stole 86 packs of cigarettes from a High's store in Harford County after breaking the glass, the indictment says.

Afterward, Bush is accused of robbing SunTrust bank in the 8700 block of Belair Road on Oct. 23, 2017. Authorities said that at 11:50 a.m., he gave a note to a teller at the bank in Perry Hall demanding money.

After the bank robbery, the couple tried to elude law enforcement but was arrested following a pursuit that ended with a crash into a person's vehicle in Baltimore City, police said.

Each faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for bank robbery, 10 years for each count of interstate transportation of stolen vehicle and five years for conspiracy.

Bush also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years for an additional count of bank larceny, interstate transportation of stolen property and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He had a loaded Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun, the indictment says.

The investigation spanned multiple states and jurisdictions. According to court filings, Bush and French stole or tried to steal ATMs from Stevensville, Chester and Cambridge, Maryland; Sterling and Broadlands, Virginia; and Kent County and Dover, Delaware.

Maryland State Police, Homeland Security, the Harford County Sheriff's Office, Baltimore County Police Department, Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office, Delaware State Police and Loudon County Sheriff's Office in Virginia assisted in the investigation.

• 2 Charged In Perry Hall Bank Robbery
• Perry Hall Bank Robbery Ends In Crash: Report

Photos of Matthew Dale Bush and Crystal Lynn French courtesy of the Baltimore County Police Department.