A man who has a history of bank robbery in his home state of Wisconsin is now facing new federal charges after he tried to hold up a PNC Bank branch in the Loop on Friday evening, according to Chicago police and a law enforcement source.
Chicago police responded to a robbery call at the bank, 1 North Franklin, shortly after 5 p.m. The robber was still inside the bank with several customers and employees when cops arrived.
Police held the robber at gunpoint and the Chicago police SWAT team was brought in as a precaution in case the situation escalated. But the offender was arrested within 15 minutes and no one was injured, according to police.
A source said the man, who drove to the bank in a car with Wisconsin license plates, has been convicted of bank robbery before.
“He’s horrible at it,” the source joked.
Officers at the bank said the offender was armed with a knife on Friday.
Federal charges are pending.
