CHICAGO — The feds have charged a man with robbing a North Center bank while wrapped in white tape — a stickup initially linked to a suspect dubbed the "Mummy Bandit."
Erwin Acox, 38, was charged with just one bank robbery Monday, although the feds previously accused a mummy-like bad guy of sticking up several other banks in recent weeks.
Acox was hit with charges of holding up the TCF Bank inside the Jewel-Osco at 4250 N. Lincoln Ave. on Sunday.
His face was covered in white tape, and he was wearing a cap, a burgundy coat and blue jeans, the complaint reads.
A man matching that description was seen riding his red and silver Schwinn bike near his home by Chicago police, who received a tip about the suspect that day, according to a federal complaint filed against Cox.
According to the complaint, officers found a 3-inch knife on Acox after he admitted to having a blade. Officers took him into custody and found more than $2,886 cash on Acox.
Acox, of the 5100 block of North Kimball Avenue in North Park, appeared in court on Monday and was ordered held until his next court date on April 11, FBI spokesman Joan Hyde said.
During the TCF holdup, the suspect did not imply having a gun and never showed a weapon, said officer Jose Estrada, a Chicago Police Department spokesman. He was described as wearing some kind of medical tape or gauze during the heist. No one was injured in the incident.
The feds say Acox walked up to a teller at the bank limping and using a cane. He then reached across the counter, grabbed a stack of $100 bills in the teller's hand and struggled in an attempt to get the money from her, the complaint alleges.
He told her repeatedly in a deep voice to hand the money over, along with the cash in the drawer, according to the complaint. She let go of the money and gave Acox money from the drawer and then activated the bank alarm, the complaint reads.
"Mummy Bandit" earned the nickname after robbing a series of North Community Bank branches while wearing a wrap around his face.
The "Mummy Bandit" is suspected of robbing a North Side Community branch at 4701 N. Clark St. in Uptown on Feb. 1, another branch at 1555 N. Damen Ave. in Wicker Park on Feb. 22 and another Wicker Park branch at 2000 W. Division Ave. on March 5, the FBI said.
Acox is only charged with robbing the TCF bank.
