4 men arrested, 1 wanted in Ontario bank robberies: police

Police say they have arrested four men and are looking for one more man in connection with a series of bank robberies across Ontario that lasted nearly two years and netted more than $2 million.

Eight banks were robbed between December 8, 2022 and March 16, 2024 in areas policed ​​by the OPP, Barrie police, Belleville police, Durham police, Niagara police and York police, the OPP said Tuesday in a news release.

The robberies involved two or three people who entered the banks before they closed, the release said. During each robbery they wore different masks and clothing.

The OPP released security camera footage of a robbery in Ferversham, Ontario, on May 19, 2023, showing an individual entering the bank wearing a cowboy hat and a white covering over his face and holding a gun. They are followed into the bank by another person, wearing a ghost face mask.

The person wearing the cowboy hat is seen putting his gun down on a counter to rummage through a bank drawer. Both people later leave the building with a red duffel bag.

At least one gun was displayed during all of the robberies, but no one was injured, the OPP said. Bank employees were tied up in the last six robberies.

Witnesses ‘experienced significant emotional distress’

About 20 people were in the banks at the time of the robberies, OPP Deputy Commissioner Marty Kearns said during a news conference Tuesday.

“Although no physical harm occurred, the individuals involved in these terrifying efforts endured significant emotional distress and trauma,” Kearns said.

The OPP said the group was responsible for more than $2 million in reported losses. The money has not yet been recovered, they said.

Kearns said individual police departments investigated the robberies within their jurisdictions but quickly realized they were not isolated incidents.

“Rather, these interconnected robberies pointed to a larger, more coordinated operation,” he said.

The OPP Criminal Investigation Branch became involved in the investigation to improve coordination between police forces, he said.

Investigators used patterns to identify similar robberies in other jurisdictions, Kearns said. The police investigation “foiled” a ninth bank robbery, he said.

On June 21 of this year, OPP arrested three men during an attempted robbery in Field, Ont.

A 25-year-old man from Oshawa, a 24-year-old man from Ajax and a 32-year-old man from Coburg, Ontario, have each been charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. of aggravated theft and one count of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000.

The 32-year-old man also faces several firearms charges, as well as four counts of forcible confinement and intentional disguise.

A fourth man, a 29-year-old from Whitby, was arrested by OPP and York police in Vaughan on September 25. He faces several firearms charges and one count of conspiracy to commit a criminal offense, intentional disguise, robbery with violence and forcible confinement.

The 32-year-old Ajax man remains wanted

Police said a fifth man, a 32-year-old from Ajax, has been charged but is still wanted. OPP Det.-Insp. Brian McDermott said the man is not believed to be in Ontario.

He has been charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit a criminal offense, forcible confinement, intentional disguise and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, as well as several firearms-related charges.

Anyone who knows where he is is asked not to approach him and to contact police immediately, McDermott said.

The five suspects face a total of 53 charges.

Police say the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact local police, the OPP or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers.