On Wednesday morning at about 10:12 a.m., a man walked into the Hudson United Bank at 1325 Hudson St. and waited in line for the next available teller. When it was his turn, he handed the teller a note demanding money, said Hoboken Police Lt. Paul DiMartino last week. About $4,000 was taken, he said.
After receiving the money, the suspect walked out of the bank, headed south on Hudson Street, and turned onto 13th Street, added DiMartino.
“The employees of the bank followed the proper procedure,” said DiMartino. “There’s no indication that a weapon was shown during the robbery and there were no reported injuries.”
DiMartino added that, as procedure dictates whenever a bank robbery occurs, the FBI was required to be called in on the investigation. The FBI and the Hoboken Police Department arrived at the scene and interviewed witnesses.
Louie Allan, a special agent in charge of the New Jersey office of the FBI, said the suspect is a white or Hispanic male. He said he was wearing a brown suit, a cap and sunglasses. He is described as having a medium build, approximately six feet tall, 160 to180 lbs., 25 to 35 years old with dark brown hair. Allen also reiterated that no weapon was displayed during the robbery.
FBI Special Agent Stephen Kodak said Thursday morning that this individual may be tied to three previous bank robberies in Union City, all of which have occurred in the last two months. He said that it is unlikely that the Hoboken robbery is connected to the so-called “Eminem Robber” who has reportedly pulled off 11 bank robberies statewide in the last six months, including one in Hudson County at the Hudson Valley Bank on Midland Avenue in Kearny. That robber had been dubbed the “Eminem Robber” because he wears a wool hat pulled over his ears and looks strikingly like the hip-hop superstar.
According to an FBI wanted poster distributed to banks and post offices across the state, the Eminem Robber’s note warns tellers not to call police and states that he is watching closely and will begin shooting if his instructions are not followed. The note also requests all $100, $50 and $20 bills and instructs the teller not to move until he is gone.
Kodak also said that the Hoboken robbery is not connected to a series of armed bank robberies in North Bergen. The latest robbery took place last Thursday morning when a brazen thief wearing a ski mask put a gun to the head of a security guard, told the teller behind the glass to fill up a shopping gift bag with money and then fled the scene with more than $8,000. The robber remains on the loose.
In North Bergen there have been four armed robberies, three of which were bank robbery attempts, in the last two months, according to North Bergen officials.
North Bergen Chief of Police Angelo Busacco had theories about the sudden upswing of bank robberies in his area.
“I just think it’s a sign of the economic times,” he said. “Desperate times lead to desperate actions. It could be drug-related, gambling, outstanding loans.”
Anyone with information regarding the Hoboken bank robbery is requested to contact either the Hoboken Police Department at (201) 420-2100 or the FBI at (973) 792-3000. All calls are kept confidential, according to Allen.