A Michigan man who robbed several banks at gunpoint told authorities an active school shooting was taking to place to distract cops from his crimes, the FBI reportedly discovered.
A federal criminal complaint accused William Francis Minore, 70, of carrying out several bank robberies — including one at Huntington Bank in Empire, Michigan, in September 2016, and two others at Honor State Bank in Lake Ann in April 2015 and December 2015.
Minore had been transferred to federal custody April 4 on a federal warrant after several law enforcement agencies carried out an investigation that initially led to charges at the state level.
FBI special agent Larry Stewart Jr. said that the alleged robber used a .38 caliber revolver in each of his crimes.
Stewart Jr. said Minore allegedly called 911 to tell authorities a man shot his daughter and several other victims before he abruptly hung up and robbed Huntington Bank in September 2016.
Authorities received another 911 call about a man in a ski mask entering a bank in Lake Ann and discovered that Minore’s voice had been behind those calls.
“The calls confirm that the robber is likely the same for all three robberies,” Stewart Jr. said.
Authorities suspected that Minore carried out similar tactics in his 2015 robberies and used a disposable phone to place his calls.
“Like the Huntington Bank robbery, the Honor State Bank robberies involved a man wearing a ski mask who took over the entire bank, neutralized personnel, and accessed monies, which were held in the vault or safe,” Stewart explained.
Initially, Minore faced charges in Michigan state in November 2016 for armed robbery, unlawfully driving away in a motor vehicle, and felony firearm possession.
But his trial had been put on hold in March 2017 after his defense took the case to the Michigan Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals dismissed the case the following month.
Minore faces several federal charges, including three counts of bank robbery and three counts of using a firearm to carry out a bank robbery. The state court dropped its charges against Minore after finding out he would face federal charges.
Minore is scheduled to appear in court April 16 for a detention hearing.
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