ODDLY ENOUGH


ODDLY ENOUGH

Wanted: Repeat bank robber who has a fondness for hats

MINEOLA, N.Y.

Police in New York are on the hunt for a prolific bank robber who wears many hats.

Police say the man donned a range of wacky headpieces as he committed eight bank robberies in Nassau County over the course of 21/2 months, ending July 23.

One of the banks was robbed twice.

Surveillance photos show the robber wearing a floppy white hat at one bank.

At another, he accessorized with a baseball hat that had a picture of President Barack Obama on it.

And at another, he decided on a hat with a long wig attached.

Police believe it’s the same robber in all the photos.

They say the stickup artist typically gives tellers a note threatening violence and demanding cash.

Woman, 78, caught with cash in her girdle at airport

ROMULUS, Mich.

A 78-year-old Florida woman tried to fly on an international trip from Detroit Metropolitan Airport with almost $41,000 in cash hidden inside her girdle, bra and carry-on bag, federal authorities said.

A complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit said the Clearwater woman was trying to board a flight April 2 to the Philippines with her daughter.

She initially said she had $200 in cash but submitted a form declaring she had $1,200, prompting questions.

During a search, Customs and Border Protection officers found $8,000 in wallets in her carry-on bag, $4,000 sewn into a cloth pouch and nearly $1,000 in envelopes, according to the complaint. She then told them she had $3,000 in her blouse and $2,000 sewn into the strap of her bra.

Officers continued to search and said they found about $21,000 in her girdle.

The woman told authorities that she had recently sold her home for $120,000, wired some money to the Philippines and had planned to carry a portion of the money with her.

“She stated that she did not wire the proceeds to the Philippines this time because she thought it was safer to carry the money,” according to the complaint.

Federal law requires travelers to declare if they are carrying more than $10,000. The woman hasn’t been charged, but the government in the forfeiture complaint said it wants to keep the money. The Detroit News reported details of the request Friday.

Federal court records don’t list a lawyer for the woman.

The Associated Press left a message seeking comment from her at a telephone listing in Florida.

Associated Press

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