Crime & Safety

FBI: Suspect In Naperville Bank Robbery Arrested At Work

Investigators identify suspect in Friday's bank robbery based on information developed from a Downers Grove bank robbery on Jan. 17.

Kevin A. Johnson, 30, of the 14300 block of Bensley Avenue in Burnham, was taken into custody without incident at his place of employment in Naperville.

The Burnham man has also been linked to the robbery of an American Chartered Bank in Downers Grove on Jan. 17, but has not been charged in that robbery. 

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Johnson appeared in federal court on Saturday where he was charged with one felony count of bank robbery, according to an FBI media advisory.

The bank robbery started around 2:30 p.m. Friday when Johnson entered the PNC Bank branch at 9 East Ogden in Naperville, and demanded money from the teller, the criminal complaint said.

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Johnson also allegedly threatened to shoot a bank employee if his demands were not met, and kept his right hand in his coat pocket, implying that he had a weapon.

The employee emptied the teller drawer, handing over what was later determined by an audit to be $3,369. The FBI said that Johnson exited the bank with the cash.

The employee described the bank robber as a light skinned, black male, about six feet tall, with a thin build and in his early 20s, the complaint said.

Another teller at the bank offered the same description, but placed the robber’s age in his mid to late 20s.

Surveillance video from Friday’s video showed the suspect wearing a plaid hat with earflaps and a furry lining, a plaid coat, gray gloves with strips, dark colored pants, and gray tennis shoes, the complaint said.

The FBI special agent that examined the video from Friday’s robbery, also stated that the suspect, Johnson, pulled a dark object resembling a handgun from the waistband of his pants.

Identification of Suspect

The complaint read in court on Saturday said investigators were able to develop information linking Johnson to the American Charter Bank at 2205 Butterfield Road in Downers Grove last month

Similar to Friday’s robbery, employees at the Downers Grove bank told investigators that the suspect entered the bank around 10:58 a.m. Jan. 17. The suspect allegedly threatened to shoot an employee and demanded cash from the teller drawer. The suspect left with $3,305.

Around the time of the Downers Grove bank robbery, a witness reported to law enforcement that a silver Buick LeSabre, later determined to be registered to Johnson, was parked in his mother’s driveway a quarter mile away from the American Chartered Bank.

When the witness went out to look at the car, a light-skinned black or Hispanic male came walking from the general direction of the bank and apologized to the witness for blocking his mother’s driveway. The witness was able to provide polcie with a partial license plate number.

Johnson’s employer also told investigators that Johnson was not working at the time of the Jan. 17 robbery.

Investigators obtained records from the Illinois Tollway Authority showing a silver Buick LeSabre matching the plate number given by the witness, passing through the toll booth nearest American Charter Bank at 11:05 a.m. Jan. 17.

Illinois Secretary of State records also showed Johnson as the vehicle’s registered owner, the complaint stated.

Johnson was arrested at his workplace in Naperville just as he was about to begin his shift on Friday, about 30 minutes after he is said to have robbed the PNC Bank.

After Johnson’s arrest, the PNC bank employee was brought to the location and positively identified Johnson, the FBI said.

According to the criminal complaint, Johnson initially declined to speak to the special agent, but was informed that a search warrant was being obtained to search his locker at his work place. Any further discussion about the bank robberies would have to be initiated by him.

Johnson allegedly asked the special agent how they found him from the first robbery. Advised that a witness had written down his plate number, which was backed up by tollway records, Johnson then asked why he hadn’t been arrested sooner.

He then requested his coat from his locker so he could wear it. The special agent informed him that before he could get his coat, he would have to search it first.

The FBI said that Johnson told the special agent that the money from the PNC Bank robbery was in his coat pocket. He gave his permission for investigators to search his locker and vehicle without having to obtain a warrant.

He further admitted that the clothing he wore during the bank robbery was in his car, the complaint alleged.

Naperville Police recovered $3,319 from Johnson’s pants pocket and coat. While police were searching his locker, Johnson reportedly spontaneously told officers to take his hat into evidence because “I had the hat on too.”

The criminal complaint alleged that Johnson wore the same clothing when committing the Downers Grove bank robbery last month.

If convicted of the charge against him, Johnson faces up to 20 years in prison. He is due back in federal court on Feb. 20.



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