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Man Charged In Loop Bank Robbery Believed To Be "Benchwarmer Bandit"

Updated 04/16/14 - 2:29 p.m.

CHICAGO (STMW) -- A man charged with robbing a bank in the Loop on Tuesday is believed to be the Benchwarmer Bandit, suspected by the FBI of at least five other bank jobs.

Jamal Genson, 28, is facing one federal count of bank robbery, according to a statement from the FBI.

Genson appeared Wednesday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Cox, who ordered him held pending his next court appearance Friday afternoon, according to the FBI.

Genson is charged with robbing the Fifth Third Bank branch at 1 S. Dearborn Ave. just after 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to the FBI.

The robber, later identified as Genson, passed a threatening note to an employee, then ran out with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to the FBI. No weapon was displayed and no one was injured.

Chicago Police saw a person matching the robber's description a short time later, and arrested him at Chicago and Wabash avenues, Hyde said.

According to the FBI, Genson is believed to be the Benchwarmer Bandit, responsible for at least five other bank robberies on the North Side and in the Loop in the last month.

The Benchwarmer Bandit is suspected of the following robberies:

— 9:45 a.m. March 16 at the TCF Bank branch at 3531 N. Broadway;

— 9:02 a.m. March 21 at the TCF Bank branch at 4355 N. Sheridan;

— 9:37 a.m. March 24 at the TCF Bank Branch at 2940 N. Ashland;

— 10:07 a.m. March 29 at the Citibank branch at 3128 N. Ashland;

— 8:22 a.m. April 8 at the Citibank branch at 111 W. Jackson.

Genson had not been charged with the other robberies as of Wednesday afternoon.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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