FBI arrests suspected serial bank robber in the Loop — while he was carrying a bank robbery note

The party may be over for a serial bank robber who held up nine banks in downtown Chicago during May and June. You may not be surprised to hear that he has already been convicted of bank robbery five times.

Kenneth Anderson (inset) and a note he was allegedly carrying when FBI agents arrested him in the Loop on July 1. | US District Court records

When FBI agents arrested Kenneth Anderson, 55, at State and Adams on July 1, he was carrying a note that read, “Give me all the money in drawer Now! hurry up,” according to a federal search warrant affidavit. He was also wearing two shirts, had an extra baseball hat, and possessed a Ventra card that investigators linked to the bank robber’s travels, the affidavit said.

The FBI released these surveillance images of the robber. | FBI

An FBI agent wrote that Anderson’s attire was ” consistent with his practice of wearing two shirts and carrying an extra hat so that he can quickly change his appearance upon exiting a bank.” Investigators believe he was on his way to rob his tenth bank when he was apprehended.

The agency wanted the warrant so investigators could examine Anderson’s phone to find GPS data and other electronic records.

Anderson is now suspected of robbing:

  • US Bank, 25 East Washington of $1,339 on May 2 with a note that read, “Give me all the money in your drawer and hurry your ass up!”
  • Chase Bank, 2 North LaSalle, at 4:14 p.m. on May 9
  • Huntington National Bank, 20 North Clark, of small bills at 3:57 p.m. on May 23, ordering the teller to, “Give me all the money now, just give it.”
  • Citibank, 222 West Adams, at 4:05 p.m. on June 3
  • US Bank, 71 South Wacker, at 3:16 p.m. on May 27 and again at 3:47 p.m. on June 17
  • Bank of America, 515 North LaSalle, of $1,341 around 2:48 p.m. on June 27
  • Huntington National Bank, 29 East Madison, at 3:57 p.m. on June 23
  • PNC Bank, 302 West Adams, at 4:30 p.m. on June 23

Anderson received a 78-month federal sentence for robbing three banks in April 2007, according to the affidavit, but he quickly robbed more downtown banks after being paroled and wound up in prison for another 105 months.

Even though he hasn’t been charged with the most recent bank robberies, the federal government is moving to end his supervised release.

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