I-55 Bank Robber Surrenders; 19-Year-Old Suspected in 10 Heists

The "I-55 Bandit," a bank robber who FBI agents say is suspected of robbing 10 banks across five states, turned himself in Wednesday and officials were shocked to find out he is just 19 years old.

The FBI started a media blitz this week, releasing photos of the I-55 bank robber. The thief is suspected in 10 bank heists throughout Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, West Virginia, and Tennessee since May. Some of the crimes occurred near Interstate 55, hence the nickname.

I-55 Bank Robber Surrenders, Suspect Is Just 19-Years-Old http://t.co/Bue5Y2GGel via Addam Corré

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Just days after leaking photos to the press, the FBI said Wednesday that 19-year-old Andrew Maberry, of O'Fallon, Ill., turned himself in at the agency's St. Louis headquarters. He was arrested and charged with one federal count of bank robbery for the July holdup of a Commerce Bank in the St. Louis suburb of Arnold.

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Officials say Maberry would enter the banks wearing either a hat or dark sunglasses. He reportedly claimed to be armed and would then slip the teller a note demanding money. The total amount of money Maberry amassed during his spree was not released.

"We have seen cases, it's more rare, when the bank robber goes across the country and different states," FBI spokeswoman Rebecca Wu told ABC News. "The more often a bank robber commits a crime or commits a bank robbery, chances are, he'll get caught because they leave behind more clues."

The FBI released a statement following Maberry's arrest thanking the public for its help in identifying him.

"We want to thank the news media and digital billboard companies for providing coverage on the I-55 Bandit," the statement said. "We have no doubt Maberry’s surrender was a direct result of the extensive media attention. We also appreciate the dozens of solid tips we were provided by the public. The FBI has long relied on the public to help identify and capture criminals."

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