A 27-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly robbing an Ozone Park bank at knife point in May, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced on Monday.
Kevin Crawford was arrested on June 24, for stealing over $2,000 from Valley National Bank — located at 107-01 Liberty Ave. — at knifepoint on May 18, according U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue.
Crawford, who is homeless, is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Donoghue said. He faces up to 25 years behind bars if convicted.
On May 18, around 3:45 p.m., Crawford entered Valley National Bank, approached a teller and handed them a manila envelop that had the messages “Fill it up” and “20’s 50’s and 10’s” on it, according to the criminal complaint. When the teller didn’t immediately comply with Crawford’s demand, Crawford pulled out a knife, held it against the neck of another bank employee and told the teller to fill up the envelope with money, the complaint alleges.
The teller put $2,330 in cash inside the envelope and Crawford fled the bank north on 107th Street with the money, according to the U.S Attorney.
Surveillance footage from the area surrounding the bank was recovered by the NYPD, including footage of the bank robber tossing the knife, which was later found to have Crawford’s fingerprints, according to police. Surveillance footage also showed Crawford ducking into an alley on 107th Street, where he disappeared for about two minutes, only to emerge wearing different clothes, cops said.
Police officers later recovered the bank robber’s clothes and the manilla envelope with the demand written on it from the alley, the complaint alleges. Finger prints on the envelope matched Crawford’s, the NYPD said.
Crawford has previously been arrested for two other robberies, according to compliant.
