Three suspects who attempted to rob the TD Bank near the corner of Lasalle Boulevard and Falconbridge Road in July have been arrested, said Greater Sudbury Police Service.
Two men gained entry into the bank on July 26 at about 7:45 a.m. The third suspect remained outside.
They would wait for the bank employees to transfer their tills from the vault to their cashier stations. They would then break into the bank by breaking a window with a sledge hammer. Once inside, they would stuff the money into bags and then flee.
At the time of the attempted robbery in Sudbury, several bank employees were working inside the bank. They sought refuge inside a secure area of the bank, said police.
The suspects were unable to access any money and fled the area.
The suspects also committed three robberies in Quebec and three more in Ontario, police allege. In total, they stole about $600,000.
All of the bank robberies were so similar in the way they were committed, a joint investigation was conducted by a number of police services including several in Quebec, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Ottawa Police Service and Greater Sudbury Police Service.
“The MOs were the same,” said Greater Sudbury Police Service Staff Sgt. Al Asunmaa. “Obviously, we can't give out too many details leading up to the arrest, but the majority of the evidence and the way they committed the robberies led to their arrest.”
Two of the men, a 44-year-old man and a 35-year-old man, have appeared in court for various charges related to these robberies. They remain in custody and will be appearing at a bail hearing next week.
The third suspect has been released unconditionally.
Some of the money has been recovered, but Asunmaa said he wasn't sure exactly how much.
So far, no charges have been laid in the Sudbury incident, but that may soon change, Asunmaa said.
“We're just putting together all of our information, and we are hoping that in the very near future we'll be laying charges,” Asunmaa said.
The investigations relating to Ontario continue to be investigated by the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) and the OPS, the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, the Greater Sudbury Police Service and the Waterloo Regional Police Service.
All information concerning this investigation will be treated confidentially and can be forwarded to 450-662-INFO (4636) or 911 by mentioning file No. LVL 130831 009.
