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Wanted By The FBI: Bank Robber With Perfect Grammar And Spelling

A photo released by the FBI of the alleged bank robber caught on security video.
FBI
A photo released by the FBI of the alleged bank robber caught on security video.

Apparently bank robbers aren't in the habit of worrying much about grammar and spelling when it comes to writing demand notes.

Not so for the "Good Grammar Bandit," who we might imagine turned to a life of crime because it proved more exciting (and lucrative) than being a copy editor.

The FBI says the slender-built, 5-foot-9-inch to 6-foot-tall black male in his 30s is being sought in at least four bank robberies north of Denver since the beginning of the month.

According to the bureau's Denver office, a distinguishing characteristic is that "[the] demand notes presented by this individual to the victim tellers are typed with proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

"The subject enters the bank, presents a demand note, and flees on foot," the FBI adds.

We certainly don't want to make light of this serious crime, which the FBI in its release reminds us is punishable by a 20-year prison sentence for each offense. But, when we heard about this story, it reminded us of a scene from the 1969 Woody Allen comedy Take the Money and Run in which protagonist Virgil Starkwell (played by Allen) is thwarted by illegible handwriting in his attempt to rob a bank.

You can watch a clip here.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.