Man accused in Florida, Alabama bank robberies, S.C. truck theft arrested

LAKELAND, FL (WCSC) - A Florida traffic stop landed a serial bank robbery suspect who also accused of stealing a truck from a North Charleston dealership behind bars.

Police arrested Myron William Ernst Thursday after pulling him over for a traffic stop in Lakeland, Florida, according to a post from the Ocala Police Department’s Facebook account.

Police say they have charged Ernst with attempted bank robbery in connection with bank robbery earlier Thursday. Ernst was identified as the suspect in that robbery by police who said he was driving a newer model dark gray Ford F-150 truck.

The truck was reported stolen from a Rivers Avenue dealership on Sept. 26, a North Charleston Police incident report states. A dealership employee told police a man identified as Ernst test drove a gray Ford F-150 then returned and said he was going to the bathroom. Approximately 10 minutes later, Ernst called the employee and said he was leaving with the truck to show his wife and would return in 10 minutes, the report states.

Ernst left his Florida driver’s license behind at the dealership, police say.

North Charleston Police Maj. Scott Perry confirmed the man accused of stealing the truck was the same man wanted for the bank robberies.

A wanted poster from the FBI states Ernst, who, according to various birth dates agents say he has used, is anywhere from 49 to 60 years old, was wanted for an Oct. 12 bank robbery in Lakeland, Florida and was seen fleeing the scene in a “newer model dark gray Ford F-150 truck.”

The FBI said he was wanted on a federal arrest warrant for bank robbery and is suspected in additional robberies in Florida and Alabama.

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