Bank Robber Nabbed After Trying To Use Stolen Cash: FBI

KANE COUNTY, IL -- Authorities have nabbed a bank robber accused of holding up a BMO Harris in Carpentersville last week. Eric M. Dill of Barrington was taken into custody after the cash stolen from the Carpentersville bank on Oct. 10 was presented to a teller at Wintrust, 201 S. Hough St. in Barrington, as Dill requested a wire transfer, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A Wintrust employee recognized Dill, who had a Wintrust account and was a regular customer at Barrington Bank & Trust, and authorities determined ten of the $50 bills were "baited" and contained recorded serial numbers from the cash stolen from the Carpentersville bank earlier in the day.

An FBI investigation revealed Dill entered the BMO Harris Bank, at 94 North John F. Kennedy Drive in Carpetnersville, at about 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 10, according to the criminal complaint. The robber carried a large, tan bag across the front of his body and approached a bank teller.

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Dill then allegedly produced a note that let the teller know that "this is a robbery" and stated the employee had ten seconds. It also requested "no dye packs and no bait," according to the criminal complaint.

The teller handed over cash, including the ten $50 "baited" bills. The bank kept recorded serial numbers of those bills. The robber then asked for the demand note back and left the bank, according to authorities.

That same afternoon, Dill also went to the Wintrust in Barrington. There he presented $4,000 in cash to the teller, including the baited bills, and requested a wire transfer. The Wintrust employee recognized Dill and called police.

While in custody on Oct. 11, authorities showed Dill surveillance images from the bank robbery and he allegedly confirmed they were pictures of him, according to the criminal complaint. He also admitted to taking about $3,700 from the bank. And he gave authorities permission to search his home, garage and vehicle.

A search of the home turned up a sweatshirt and Chicago Bears cap that matched clothing items allegedly worn by Dill during the robbery. In his garage, they found a tan bag that matched the bag used by the robber.

A criminal complaint filed Friday alleges Dill was responsible for the bank robbery in Carpentersville. No information was immediately available regarding a connection between that bank robbery and other area bank robberies that occurred in recent weeks, including one at the U.S. Bank on Irving Park Road in Hanover Park on Oct. 10 and another at the BMO Harris Bank on South Barrington Road in South Barrington on Sept. 22.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Eric M. Dill is charged in connection with a bank robbery that occurred at a BMO Harris in Carpentersville on Oct. 10./PHOTO CREDIT: FBI