Federal prosecutors have charged a Wisconsin man with trying to rob a Loop bank branch on Friday afternoon, according to court records. Four years ago, the man faced felony charges after he allegedly tried — and failed — to rob a bank in Wisconsin.
Adam Neibauer, age 38, is charged with one count of bank robbery by threat and intimidation in connection with Friday’s hold-up at PNC Bank, 1 North Franklin.
An FBI agent said in court documents that Neibauer collected $14,375 during the robbery attempt, but the crime was foiled by a teller who activated a silent alarm while he carried out a time-consuming hold-up plan.
Neibauer entered the bank shortly before 5 p.m. and said he wanted to get a loan. When a teller introduced him to a loan officer, Neibauer handed over a two-page note that said, among other things, “You’re getting robbed, I have a weapon, grab another employee, give me all your money,” according to the FBI agent’s statement.
The teller stepped out of the loan office under the guise of getting cash for Neibauer. On their way to the vault, the teller told another employee that they were being robbed. The second employee activated a silent alarm, according to the agent.
The teller returned to the office with $7,000 in large bills. Neibauer then allegedly approached the teller area and ordered three cashiers to “give me all the money out of your drawers.”
After getting another $7,375 from the tellers, Neibauer reportedly told the bank employees to wait five minutes and then do what they had to do. At that point, police began banging on the bank windows because the front door had been locked.
“I told you I had a weapon,” Neibauer reportedly told the bank workers. “Take me to the vault.”
Police entered the bank and repeatedly ordered Neibauer to comply with them for “many minutes” as other officers escorted bank employees to safety, the FBI agent wrote.
“The procedure,” Neibauer reportedly whined to cops, “is that you do not push the f*cking button. You comply with the f*cking robber.”
“Do not move those f*cking employees,” he allegedly continued. “I do have a weapon in here.” Cops later said they found a knife in his possession.
Police eventually arrested Neibauer in the bank lobby. No one was injured.
The FBI agent said in court documents that Neibauer subsequently admitted to robbing the bank.
Neibauer was charged in August 2016 with trying to rob a BMO Harris Bank branch in Racine, Wisconsin, according to a contemporaneous news report.
In that case, he allegedly approached a teller and asked her to read a letter that he “received in the mail.” The letter reportedly said, “This is a robbery. Stay calm. Do what you normally do and give me all the money.”
The teller gave the note to her manager for consideration, but Neibauer eventually grabbed it back and left the bank with no money, according to the report.
After leaving the bank, Neibauer went to a car dealership and took a vehicle on a test drive. During the trip, he reportedly stopped the car and pulled a gun on the salesman who was along for the ride.
“I just robbed a bank,” Neibauer allegedly said. “Get out.”
When police later located Neibauer in Cook County, Illinois, he still had the note that was used in the bank robbery attempt, according to the news report.
Neibauer pleaded no contest to attempted robbery of a financial institution and received a three-year sentence, according to Racine County records.
