Police Think They've Caught Bank Robber

By John Emerson
MONTICELLO — June 27, 2000 -- A Syracuse man is calling the Sullivan County Jail home, at least for the immediate future, after being arrested late last week in connection with the Bank of New York robbery earlier this month.
Friday, Syracuse police arrested Michael White, 21, of 1445 South Salina Lane on the street, according to Monticello police. The capture was made without incident and without resistance, police said. The arrest came after police conducted a two-day long stakeout of White's residence and activities.
The bank robbery, believed to be the first at a Monticello bank in 20 years, took place on June 8, a little more than an hour after the bank opened for business. Police say White entered the bank, handed one of the bank tellers a paper bag and told her to fill it with money. The teller complied and, after receiving the money, White left the bank on foot.
Although police arrived within a couple of minutes after the robbery, White was gone by the time they showed up at the scene. Initially, rumors indicated that the suspect was still in the bank and had taken hostages when police arrived, forcing police to use extreme caution as they approached the building. Those rumors were unfounded, and the robber never displayed a weapon during the course of the robbery.
A joint investigation involving Monticello police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York State Police and the Sullivan County District Attorney's office led to the identification of White as the alleged bank robber and his subsequent arrest.
The exact amount of money taken during the robbery was never disclosed, but Monticello police said it was between $2,000 and $3,000. None of the money was recovered when White was arrested.
White was arraigned and is being held pending action by a Sullivan County grand jury.