A man arrested Monday by
Harrison Lewis III, 53, of the 100 block of Wyndcrest Avenue, is suspected of robbing at least 10 banks in Central Maryland, including the New Year's Eve robbery of the BB&T Bank branch in the 1300 block of Liberty Road in Eldersburg, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Baltimore Office.
Lewis has been charged with four counts of robbery, two counts of armed robbery and one count of theft of $1,000 to $10,000, all for incidents that occurred in Baltimore County between Dec. 28 and Jan. 30, according to electronic court records. He was held without bail after a review hearing Tuesday morning in Baltimore County District Court.
As of Tuesday, charges against Lewis have not been filed in Carroll or Howard counties, where the FBI alleges the "winter hat robber" robbed or attempted to rob four banks.
FBI investigators from the Baltimore office earlier this month offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to a man they believed was responsible for nine bank robberies and one attempted bank robbery who wore a winter hat during each of the incidents. In each case, the man approached the counter, gave the bank teller a note announcing an armed robbery and demanded money. No one was injured in any of these incidents.
Lewis is tentatively scheduled to appear in court again Feb. 24 for a preliminary hearing.
The FBI alleged the "winter hat robber" was responsible for the following incidents:
•Dec. 22:
•Dec. 28:
•Dec. 31: BB&T Bank, 1300 Liberty Road, Eldersburg
•Jan. 5: M&T Bank, 5642 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville
Carroll County Breaking News
•Jan. 6: M&T Bank, 8200 Harford Road, Parkville
•Jan. 7: PNC Bank, 3757 Old Court Road, Pikesville
•Jan. 10: Capital One Bank, 9245 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City
•Jan. 11: M&T Bank, 705 Frederick Road, Catonsville
•Jan. 19: First National Bank, 9416 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City (attempted robbery)
•Jan. 19: BB&T, 9450 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City
•Jan. 30: PNC Bank, 3422 Sweet Air Road, Phoenix