$13,000 reward offered for information on bank robbery

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) Officials announced on Wednesday they have increased the cash reward for information on the robbery at Midwest America Federal Credit Union.

A $13,000 cash reward is now available for information that leads to the arrest of the perpetrators of the Oct. 25 armed robbery.

The robbery took place at around 8:40 a.m. on Oct. 25 at the Midwest America Federal Credit Union located at 1021 Swinney Avenue.

According to police on the scene, two men managed to get into the credit union before it had opened. Employees said they were approached by the men who were wearing dark hooded sweatshirts and masks.  The robbers forced the employees inside the building at gunpoint.

One of the men is shown on surveillance video forcing an employees to open a safe.  

None of the employees in the bank at the time of the robbery were injured.

This incident remains under investigation by the Fort Wayne Police Department's Bank Robbery Task Force and the Allen County Prosecutor's Office.

This robbery was one of 11 bank and credit union robberies in 2012. There were five last year, and only one in 2010.

"What were also seeing is that our perpetrators are becoming violent, they’re escalating in violence, and that’s very frightening," said Raquel Foster of the Fort Wayne Police Department.

There is a low solvability rate with bank robberies. Out of the 11 robberies, there have only been three arrests.

Police say it's likely that some of these robberies could have been committed by the same person, but they need the public's help in linking the crimes together.

"That's up to $13,000 just for someone to do what's right," Foster said.

Foster said in order for a person to collect the money, the tip must lead to an arrest, and you have to aid the police with information they don't already know.

"You have to tell us how you know that this person, or those persons, are responsible for that robbery," Foster said.

Police are asking if you know any information to please contact the department.