I-Team: Odd back story on suspected 'Hooded Bandit'
WOOD DALE, Ill. (WLS) -- The I-Team has learned an incredible back story to a string of suburban Chicago bank robberies.
Edward Klich, 62, appeared in federal court on Friday charged with one bank robbery, but the oddity in the story is what may have motivated him: repaying the government.
At first the arrest of Edward Klich seemed routine. Even though there have been a lot of serial bank robbers in metro Chicago this year, Klich is probably the only one suspected of robbing Peter to pay Paul - perhaps looking to use the proceeds of his bank heists to cover his criminal debit to the government. The I-Team has learned that Klich was convicted years ago of extorting money from his previous employer, the U.S. Postal Service, and under a court order to pay it back.
In the late 1990's Klich worked at this post office near O'Hare, where he was a window clerk.
According to court records obtained by the I-Team, he was charged with embezzling money from the post office and pleaded in 2002 to misappropriation of postal funds. He was ordered to pay the postal service more than $122,000 restitution.
After getting out of federal prison, Klich apparently worked and repaid some of the money, but still owes more than $80,000.
A few years ago the government began pressing him to pay off the debt, and at about that same time, a series of suburban bank robberies occurred by a man who- for obvious reasons- became known as "the hooded bandit." Nine bank robberies since February of last year were all committed by a man described as 5-foot-8 to 6 feet tall, gray hair, 50 to 60 years old, and armed with a silver pistol.
On Thursday at this bank in Wood Dale, there was a high-noon hold up. Police say they chased the getaway car and a few blocks away arrested Edward G. Klich. Detectives say they found $1,874 dollars in the front seat of his wife's Buick LeSabre.
According to Wood Dale police, Klich was uncooperative at the time of his arrest and ended up being Tasered. They did not find a gun in his possession. According to federal law enforcement, Thursday's robbery was the second time Klich had held up the bank at that Wood Dale location. They say one of the tellers even recognized him from the robbery there last November. The FBI agent who questioned Klich Friday says he admitted to the string of suburban bank robberies.
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