CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Video of a Detroit man riding a SMART bus to work helped police identify him as the suspect of three nearly identical bank robberies over the span of a month in Macomb County, officials said.
Roseville bank robbery
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The first bank robbery happened around 4:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Citizens Bank at 26000 Gratiot Avenue in Roseville, police said.
Authorities said Megal Lamont Barnett, 46, of Detroit, walked into the bank while talking on a cellphone. He told the teller to give him $5,000 and stated, “This is a robbery,” police said.
When the teller reached for the alarm button, Barnett told her she “would not want to go there,” according to authorities.
She handed Barnett $1,330, and he fled the bank on foot, officials said.
Witnesses described the robber as being 5 feet, 5 inches to 5 feet, 7 inches tall with a medium build. He was wearing a dark jacket, a baseball hat and dark shoes with white soles, police said.
Chesterfield Township bank robbery
Lamont targeted the Citizens Bank at 27375 23 Mile Road in Chesterfield Township at 2:46 p.m. Oct. 2, according to court records.
He walked into the bank while talking on a cellphone and whispered commands to the teller, asking to withdraw $5,000, officials said.
The teller told Barnett he would need a withdraw slip, but he responded that it was a robbery and he needed $5,000, according to authorities.
He also told the teller to “not push any buttons,” police said.
The teller handed Barnett $505 and pressed the silent alarm, authorities said.
Witnesses said Barnett fled toward 23 Mile Road on foot.
The bank robber was described as being 5 feet, 6 inches or 5 feet, 7 inches with a medium build. He was wearing a black or navy blue jacket and a baseball hat, witnesses said.
Second Chesterfield Township bank robbery
Police said the Fifth Third Bank at 47000 Gratiot Avenue in Chesterfield Township was robbed around 2:40 p.m. Oct. 16.
Barnett walked into the bank while talking on a cellphone and demanded money from the teller, officials said.
He told the teller “not to push the button or he would shoot,” according to court records.
Barnett told the teller he just needed the money, police said. He was handed $2,200 before the teller pressed the alarm, officials said.
Barnett fled west on foot, court records show.
He was described as being 5 feet, 6 inches to 5 feet, 11 inches tall with a heavyset build, police said. He was wearing a baseball hat, a black jacket, a hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants, witnesses said.
Chesterfield police reviewed security video of the incident and noticed the man was wearing a baseball cap with the word “Detroit” on the front in dark lettering and a sweatshirt with distinctive stitching.
Officers tried to track Barnett using a canine. The canine found the dark hooded sweatshirt with distinctive stitching behind Macomb Powersports at 46860 Gratiot Avenue in Chesterfield Township, police said.
SMART video, anonymous tip help police
Police received an anonymous tip Oct. 21 that the bank robber worked at Anchor Bay Packing in Chesterfield Township, court records show.
The tip indicated the robber was Barnett and said he rides the bus to work daily. Barnett was working in Chesterfield Township at the time of the bank robberies, the tipster claimed.
Chesterfield police obtained video Oct. 22 from the public SMART bus system, according to court records.
Video showed a man matching the description of the bank robber getting into a SMART bus in the area of Ravis Grille, located at 46710 Gratiot Avenue in Chesterfield Township, police said.
In the footage, the man, later identified as Barnett, appeared to be wearing a dark-colored jacket, a red shirt and white Puma gym shoes that matched the video from the Fifth Third Bank robbery, officials said.
Criminal history
Barnett was convicted of bank robbery and carrying a concealed weapon in 1998, officials said.
He was convicted of robbing another bank in 2008, according to authorities.
Records showed the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office had an active felony warrant for Barnett for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, police said.
Work schedule
Officials with the Anchor Bay Packaging Company confirmed Barnett was a temporary employee from Entech Temp Agency and worked at the Chesterfield Township location, authorities said. His normal work schedule was either 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., company officials said.
On Sept. 25, Barnett worked from 7:22 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., officials said. He was about 18 miles from the Citizens Bank in Roseville, which was robbed around 4:30 p.m. that day, records show.
On Oct. 2, Barnett worked from 5:50 a.m. to 2:29 p.m., officials said. He was about 1.9 miles from the Citizens Bank in Chesterfield Township, which was robbed at 2:46 p.m. that day, police said.
On Oct. 16, Barnett worked from 6:14 a.m. to 1:38 p.m., officials said. He was about 4.4 miles from the Fifth Third Bank in Chesterfield Township, which was robbed around 2:40 p.m., according to authorities.
Barnett arrested
Deputies from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office arrested Barnett on Oct. 22 on the felony criminal sexual conduct warrant, police said. He was taken to the Macomb County Jail.
Barnett was wearing a dark-colored jacket with distinct zippers that appeared to match surveillance footage of the man on the SMART bus after the third bank robbery, according to authorities.
An FBI special agent tried to interview Barnett on Oct. 23, but he invoked his right to an attorney, court records show.
Tipster ‘positive’ Barnett committed bank robberies
Roseville police received a tip Oct. 23 from someone who requested to remain anonymous but claimed to be very familiar with Barnett, according to court records.
The tipster said they recognized Barnett from pictures in news stories about the bank robberies. Police said the tipster expressed that they were positive Barnett committed all three robberies.
Officials said the tipster’s identity is known to the FBI special agent, but will not be made public.
Barnett’s home searched
Law enforcement officials confirmed through a cooperating witness that Barnett lived at the Majestic Apartments on West Boston Boulevard in Detroit, court records show.
The witness told police Barnett could be seen at the address on a daily bases and provided surveillance video of him at the location Oct. 21, police said.
Authorities obtained a search warrant and found a black and gray baseball had with “Detroit” on the front, Puma shoes, dark-colored shoes with white soles, a red shirt and a black Samsung cellphone that linked Barnett to the bank robberies, according to police.
Charges
Barnett is facing three charges of bank robbery in connection with the incidents.