Man Robs Two Banks in an Hour; Gets Away With Neither
Tiny GPS Tracking Unit in Loot Leads Police to Money
ROGERS, AR — “Following the money trail” is taking on a new meaning in law enforcement.
Along with traditional dye packs, banks are increasingly stashing GPS tracking devices in bags of loot, when they are surrendered in armed robberies.
The unsuspecting robber usually gets tracked in a brief amount of time, as police follow the signal emitted by the high-tech gadget, straight to the cash.
Recently in Rogers, Arkansas, a crime spree turned into a string of bad luck and probably a long jail sentence. On July 3, bank employees at First Federal Bank on West Hudson Road reported that a masked man entered the bank with a handgun at about 3:15 p.m. He apparently did not case out the building prior to the crime, because he seemed not to anticipate a line of bullet-proof glass separating bank employees from the public.
According to the police report, the man waved his pistol and demanded that tellers open a door at the counter. But they refused and hid behind their protective shield. The would-be robber fled frustrated and empty handed.
A second robbery followed at a second bank. But the suspect got more than he bargained for.
At 4:07, police reported, a man with the same physical description and method of operation robbed the Bank of the Ozarks on North 47th Street. Bank personnel said he drove away in a tan Chevy Impala, with more than $2,000.
Fortunately, a bank teller also slipped a real-time GPS tracking device in the goodie bag.
GPS tracking devices are very common for automobile tracking and navigation. In the bank heist, the same technology was used. Signals from satellites determine the location of the GPS tracking receiver. The receiver transmits the data through a wireless network and someone on the other end can read it from a remote computer or on an Internet-enabled handheld.
Police tracked the GPS tracking device to South 38th Street, near Amour Drive. A tan Chevy Impala was discovered inside a nearby garage. Anthony Timothy Barnes, 31, was arrested after he came out of the house.
Barnes faces one count of theft and two counts of aggravated robbery. He could be jailed from 10 to 40 years if found guilty of any of the charges.
Tags: GPS Tracking, robbery
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