Evansville police have arrested a 51-year-old man accused of robbing a bank in Edwardsville, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, authorities said.
Detectives contacted the Evansville Police Department (EPD) on December 30 to assist with the investigation. According to reports, around 2 p.m., a man wearing a disguise entered a Chase Bank, handed the teller a note demanding cash, and fled with more than $4,000.
Authorities said the suspect used a gray Nissan Sentra with a stolen Illinois license plate, which was later replaced with an Indiana plate.
Early the next morning, Evansville police spotted the vehicle near E. Virginia Street and pulled it over for a traffic violation. The driver, identified as Robert Emil Neal, 51, of Washington, was detained. Neal reportedly matched the suspect’s description in the bank’s surveillance footage and had over $700 in cash on him.
Neal admitted he had previously served time in prison for a bank robbery. Police obtained search warrants for his car and hotel room, where they found a notebook with impressions of a robbery note, oversized jeans, a padded suit resembling body fat, and a wig matching the surveillance photos.
Neal is charged with theft in Vanderburgh County and is being held in the county jail. In Madison County, Illinois, he faces additional charges, including financial institution robbery, possession of a stolen license plate, and felony theft.
