Accused Robber Charged For Hitting Lorain County Bank

GRAFTON, OH — A 37-year-old man has been charged with robbing Chemical Bank in Grafton on Feb. 23. Matthew J. Kroffke allegedly used a gun to rob the bank before escaping in an SUV.

The robbery took place a little before 11 a.m. on Feb. 23. The FBI said at the time that an unidentified white man came into the bank brandishing a black handgun. He shouted for everyone to show him their hands. He then went to the bank manager's office, pointed his gun at her and told her to get out of her office. She followed him into the lobby of the bank.

The man then told the three tellers at the bank to give him large bills. The suspect paced in front of the counter and counted backwards from 30. As he counted, he allegedly pointed his gun in the faces of the tellers and threatened to shoot them. The tellers handed over the cash and no one was hurt.

The man then ran out of the bank and got into a blue Ford SUV and drove off. The suspected SUV was actually stopped by Grafton Police, but officers didn't yet have all the details related to the robbery. The driver of the car was identified as Kroffke, but he was released. That traffic stop was later brought to the attention of the FBI.

The FBI arrested Kroffke in the Toledo-area on Feb. 28. The Department of Justice has now indicted Kroffke for the crime.

Kroffke is from Medina County.

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