A person shot and killed by FBI brokers throughout a standoff on Chicago’s Close to West Aspect Thursday was a parole absconder suspected of robbing 5 suburban banks since his launch from jail in January, in keeping with a federal criticism filed Friday towards a person accused of serving to him rob a type of banks.
The person killed, Abdulhafedh Abdulhafedh, 25, is believed to have been the “mastermind” of the theft operation, planning the crimes and recruiting companions to hold them out, the criticism alleges.
Shortly earlier than 5 p.m. on April 21, three males, together with a person named Dayvon Walton, allegedly entered a BMO Harris Financial institution at 300 South Randall Highway in St. Charles. Two carried firearms and one held a pistol as they compelled two financial institution tellers to the again of the financial institution and ordered them to open three vaults, the criticism towards Walton says. One of many tellers may hear that the taller of the 2 armed males was receiving instructions via headphones related to a communications machine, presumably a cellphone.
One of many males collected $201,780 in U.S. forex together with international cash and put it into a number of black trash baggage. Whereas two armed males had been within the vault, the third stayed within the financial institution’s foyer, forcing the supervisor and a buyer to lie face down on the bottom.
St. Charles police adopted a tracker hidden within the stolen forex and located the deserted getaway automobile. By way of additional investigation, they recognized a second getaway automobile, which they situated on Chicago’s West Aspect. Officers surveilled it till a bunch of individuals obtained inside, at which level Chicago police pulled the automobile over throughout a visitors cease. The proprietor advised officers they had been heading on a visit and permitted CPD to look the automobile, in keeping with the criticism.
Contained in the automobile, police discovered a backpack that the occupants stated they didn’t personal. It allegedly contained $31,993 in U.S. forex and roughly $2,000 in international forex, with a BMO Harris financial institution wrapper round a number of the money.
Earlier this month, a confidential supply advised the FBI that Walton was a member of a financial institution theft crew known as the “100K gang” that had been concentrating on banks across the Chicago space, the criticism says. The informant supplied a photograph of Walton from Fb and later advised brokers the crew was getting ready to rob a financial institution on Might 19, however that plans for a getaway automobile had fallen via, they usually had been on the lookout for the informant to hire one for them.
The FBI ultimately obtained courtroom authorization to trace telephones related to Walton and Abdulhafedh. On Thursday morning, surveillance brokers watched each males go away a home and get right into a black Cadillac Escalade. Round 3 p.m., understanding Abdulhafedh had an lively parole violation warrant, FBI brokers initiated a visitors cease within the 3700 block of West Lexington Road.
Walton and two different individuals fled the automobile on foot, the criticism stated. However Abdulhafedh remained inside, refused to return out and ultimately opened hearth on FBI brokers, leading to his demise. The confrontation was caught on video.
Walton later spoke with FBI brokers and admitted to collaborating in an tried financial institution theft on April 6 in Niles and the April 21 theft in St. Charles, the criticism says.
Abdulhafedh was on parole for possessing a stolen motorized vehicle and the tried theft of a financial institution in New Lenox in 2021. Officers stated he entered the financial institution, handed a teller a rubbish bag and ordered workers to fill it with money earlier than fleeing empty-handed when a buyer walked in. His prior felony convictions embrace theft, housebreaking, an extra stolen automobile case and aggravated fleeing.
