Aurora man charged with robbing BMO Harris Bank
The FBI charged an Aurora man with robbing the BMO Harris Bank on North Lake Street last week.
According to a criminal complaint filed in court by the FBI Monday, Lester Bernard, 53, entered the bank about 3 p.m. last Thursday. He went to the deposit slip counter, walked over to the teller, placed a bag on the counter and handed the teller a deposit slip that he'd written a note on, the complaint alleges.
"This is a stick up don't make it a murder!" the note began, according to the complaint. "I have a gun! Put the cash in this bag on the counter! No dye packs or u die! And no sudden movements."
The teller complied and put $3,393 in the bag. Included in the bag was a stack of banded $50 bait bills, which are bills whose serial numbers have been previously recorded by the bank, according to the criminal complaint.
A bank security guard followed Bernard out of the bank. Bernard ran across the parking lot, authorities said, and the guard chased him. Two Aurora firefighters happened to be in the parking lot and joined in the chase. The three caught up to Bernard in a nearby parking lot and stopped him until Aurora police could arrive.
Bernard was ordered detained by a judge Monday, according to the FBI's news release.