Wednesday, February 18, 2009

MORRIS PLAINS: A Provident Bank in Morris Plains was robbed today by a man armed with two handguns, marking the second Provident Bank branch to be robbed since Friday.

Whether the two bank robberies are linked is under investigation, said Morris County Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi, who was on the scene along with Chief William Schievella of the Prosecutor's Office and Morris Plains Police Chief James Abbondanzo.

The Provident Bank branch on Route 10 was robbed shortly before 10:30 a.m. The suspect, who wielded both weapons during the robbery, is described as an African-American man in his early 30s, about 5-feet-6-inches to 5-feet-8 inches tall, with long, dark dreadlocks and a dark blue hat, light black jeans and a black jacket, Bianchi said.

After making off with an undisclosed amount of cash, he entered a silver-colored vehicle and drove off, Bianchi said.

The description of the robber in the Dover bank job shortly after 4 p.m. differs dramatically. That man is described as a white male with brown eyes, a medium build, about 20-25 years old, wearing a black, zippered hooded sweatshirt. The man fled on foot after robbing the bank and may have entered a vehicle, Bianchi said.

An investigation is being conducted by the FBI, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Major Crime Unit, the Dover Police, and now Morris Plains police, and Morris County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Section, Bianchi said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Morris County Prosecutor's Office at 973-285-6200, or the Morris Plains police at 973-538-2284, or the Morris County CrimeStoppers program at 973-267-2255, or 973-COP-CALL Bianchi said.