Creative ‘bandit’ nicknames may help explain Colorado’s sharp decrease in bank robberies

DENVER (KDVR) — Federal prosecutors are partially crediting a steep drop in bank robberies across Colorado to a creative public relations strategy.

According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 191 bank robberies happened statewide in 2021. At the time, it made Colorado the bank robbery capital of the country.

“What we were finding is these weren’t just 191 robberies that were committed by 191 different people. They were often committed by recidivist criminals. People who have long criminal histories and they would hit banks one after another,” Assistant U.S. Attorney for Colorado Brian Dunn said.

According to Dunn, investigators noticed habitual robbers often had defining similarities from crime to crime. However, he says identifying bank robbery suspects is the most difficult part of the investigation.

“When there was a pattern robber, we found it useful to give a name to that person. Maybe a physical characteristic or an action that was common between the robberies and when that name of a bandit can be put to a face, often we’d be able to establish identity by tips from the public,” Dunn said.

In 2022, the story of the “Bushy Brows Bandit” was widely reported on by media outlets in both Denver and Colorado Springs. He earned the nickname due his thick eyebrows that were visible between his hat and his mask during five local bank robberies. He was arrested less than a week after hitting the fifth bank.

“They’re generally members of the community. They’re generally people who for whatever reason, have decided to make the horrible decision to rob a bank,” Dunn said. “And while they often try to mask their identity, perhaps there’s various characteristics that other members of the public recognize.”

Other notable “bandits” FOX31 has reported on over the past several years include the Fledgling Bandit, who appeared to be new to robbing banks; the Penguin Bandit, who waddled when he walked; the Snake Bit Bandit, who wore a hat with a snake emblem on it, and the Entitled Bandit, who reportedly scoffed when he got less cash than he was expecting.

The Penguin Bandit was arrested in February 2024, just a few weeks after CrimeStoppers posted about him on social media. He was identified as Samuel Ruthstrom and sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to the robberies.

“It’s one of the highest solve rates of any crime that we have in Colorado,” Dunn said. “It’s very rare that someone gets away with bank robbery.”

Since investigators started using the nickname strategy, the number of bank robberies in Colorado has dropped each year.

According to the FBI, Colorado topped the list in 2021 with 191 robberies. In 2022, Colorado fell behind California with 155 robberies. In 2023, Colorado saw 104 bank robberies and ranked number three. In 2024, the number of cases dropped to 71.

“This year we’ve had 16 bank robberies and attempted bank robberies in the state of Colorado, which is a tremendous drop off,” Dunn said.

He believes the success the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado has in catching and prosecuting bank robbery suspects is scaring away other would-be robbers. Dunn says part of the credit goes to the unique public outreach strategy.

“While there’s some funny names and there’s amazing movies about bank robbery, they do have a significant harm,” Dunn said.

Dunn says one of the other significant changes that could be contributing to a drop in cases is that many bank robbery cases are now prosecuted in federal court, which carries harsher punishments than cases prosecuted in state courts.

You can’t get by those Coloradoans. Those are the sharpest people there are at those high altitudes.

2 posted on 07/19/2025 6:50:42 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (If you have asylum in the U.S. and you go home to visit family, is it like violating a Protect Order)

This is funny, in a sort of sad way...

3 posted on 07/19/2025 6:51:13 AM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")

Stunning. Colorado doing something right.

... catching and prosecuting bank robbery suspects is scaring away other would-be robbers.

I wonder if this criminological phenomenon might be applied to other crimes, in other jurisdictions.

5 posted on 07/19/2025 7:09:42 AM PDT by gundog (The ends justify the mean tweets. )

6 posted on 07/19/2025 7:14:45 AM PDT by null and void (Democrats: fake news, fake presidents, fake beliefs, fake policies, fake protesters & fake voters!)

“Dunn says one of the other significant changes that could be contributing to a drop in cases is that many bank robbery cases are now prosecuted in federal court, which carries harsher punishments than cases prosecuted in state courts.”

yeah, the Feds don’t F around as much as the sob-sister local DAs & judges ...

7 posted on 07/19/2025 7:15:42 AM PDT by catnipman ((A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil))

i knew we had a metric shiteton of bank robberies: in our little berg, there were several a year there for a while, so it makes sense that Colorado is No. One in bank robberies ... buy hey, at least we’re No. One in something!!!

8 posted on 07/19/2025 7:17:41 AM PDT by catnipman ((A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil))

They are often committed by recidivist criminals. People who have long criminal histories...

What stops bank robberies is putting these "recidivist" criminals who have "long criminal histories" into prison for the rest of their lives.

9 posted on 07/19/2025 7:18:21 AM PDT by Bon of Babble (You Say You Want a Revolutioan?)

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