On June 3rd of 2016, a Comerica Bank was robbed in Ingham County. Ten days later on June 13th, the Four Flags Credit Union in Berrien County was robbed, and then there was no activity for just over a month. Things became more active again when the robber struck again, this time holding up a Fifth Third Bank in Mecosta County. The man behind the bank robberies? According to the federal government, it was none other than Anthony Oby Loose.
Detectives from both Big Rapids and Grand Rapids, Michigan searched for the suspect for several days before settling on Loose as a possible culprit. In the bank surveillance videos the robber is seen wearing an orange shirt and a black baseball cap, which concealed his face. Only a small portion of the suspect’s face can be seen, revealing a short, light coloured beard. Police released the video to the community in the hopes that someone would recognize the person.
A majority of the cash robbed has been recovered
33-year-old Loose was arrested just two days after the last bank robbery. He is now accused of having taken over $19,600 in those bank robberies. According to the Feds, they’ve recovered a good deal of the cash from the Big Rapids bank that was robbed in Mecosta County.
Federal agents say they recovered a total of $4,700 from a room at America’s Best Inn in Wyoming, MI (in Kent County) where Loose was staying. That’s a considerable portion of the $5,632 he is alleged to have taken from that particular bank. Agents say they were able to recover the cash based on information that Loose unwittingly shared in a letter he wrote from jail.
According to the Big Rapids Police Department, investigators intercepted a letter that Loose had written. It identified the location of the money from the Fifth Third bank heist in Mecosta County. Working together, the FBI along with officers from the Big Rapids PD and also the Norton Shores Police Department were able to locate the cash
Initially, after his arrest, Loose was charged with a single count of bank robbery and two counts of unarmed robbery. At that time the person who reported the robbery to 911 said that they had not seen a weapon, but the presence of one had been implied by the robber. He was also charged for being a habitual offender.
After investigators realized that Loose may have been behind all three bank robberies in all three counties, the Feds took over and Loose is now facing three counts of bank robbery by force or violence. This is a very serious charge and could result in many years behind bars in a federal penitentiary for Loose if he is convicted. As of now, there are no court dates scheduled for Loose in the near future.
Bank robbery is a major felony offense whether on a state or federal level. In addition, nearly all cases of bank robbery end in arrests. If you or a loved one have been arrested or accused of robbing a bank or any other financial institution, you are going to need skilled representation both in and out of the courtroom. The experienced attorneys at the Kronzek Firm have been fighting for defendants all over Michigan’s lower peninsula for decades. Contact us 24/7 at 866-766-5245. We can help.