A husband and wife from Crystal Lake are in custody at the McHenry County Jail, accused of robbing an Algonquin bank last month, and the husband is believed to be responsible for four other recent bank heists in the northwest suburbs, according to authorities.
Daniel R. Plushkis, 26, and his wife, Jessica Plushkis, 28, each are charged locally and federally with felony financial institution robbery and burglary, authorities said. They were arrested outside the Jewel-Osco store at 103 S. Randall Road in Algonquin on Dec. 23.
“The FBI suspects Daniel Plushkis is responsible for the other four robberies,” according to FBI spokesman Garrett Croon. The agency is investigating whether Jessica Plushkis was involved with the other four robberies, Croon said.
According to a federal criminal complaint filed by the FBI, about 3:20 p.m. Dec. 23. Daniel Plushkis entered the grocery store and approached a TCF bank teller. He was disguised in a dark-colored, bushy beard and dark jacket with its hood pulled up over his head, an appearance similar to the robber in the other four heists, according to surveillance photos released by FBI.
He stepped in front of another bank customer, saying, “I am sorry, ma’am, I hate to do this,” and handed the bank teller a manila envelope. On the envelope a note was attached that read, “Give me everything in your bottom drawer,” according to the complaint.
The teller gave him all the money in her top and bottom drawer, and Plushkis walked out of the store. But witnesses followed and tackled him in the parking lot and called for police.
Algonquin police arrived and removed his disguise and recognized him from past alleged interactions. Police recovered the envelope and the cash inside. A second responding officer saw a “vehicle exiting the parking lot … at a high rate of speed,” stopped it and arrested the driver, Jessica Plushkis, according to the complaint.
She told officers that Daniel Plushkis said earlier in the day they “needed money” and suggested they rob a bank, according to the complaint. She told police that he had told her to go to this particular grocery store because he knew it had a bank inside.
When they arrived, he pulled the disguise from the car and went inside, according to the complaint. She said she waited for him in the car and when she saw him being chased “panicked” and drove off.
She identified her husband’s handwriting on the demand note and identified him on the TCF surveillance video, the FBI said.
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Inside the car police found a bag filled with several items including “a maroon and tan left-handed glove and a notebook containing several bank robbery demand notes and several partially completed demand notes,” according to the criminal complaint.
The FBI believes Daniel Plushkis also is linked to these bank robberies: Dec. 20 about 6 p.m. at the TCF Bank branch at 217 Irving Park Road in Streamwood; Dec. 13 about 6:45 p.m. at the TCF Bank at 1860 S. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights; Dec. 10 at 3:45 p.m. at the TCF Bank at 13200 Village Green Drive in Huntley; and Dec. 1 at 3 p.m. at the Chase Bank at 300 Northwest Highway in Cary. Surveillance photos can be seen at bankrobbers.fbi.gov.
Croon declined to say how much money had been stolen in the robberies. He said the couple would be transferred to federal custody because they are charged with bank robbery. If convicted, they face 20 years for each bank robbery. The couple has an appearance in McHenry County courthouse on Jan. 26. Their lawyer, a public defender, declined to comment.
Assistant State’s Attorney John Gibbons explained that should the charges “be assumed by federal authorities then the (McHenry County) State’s Attorney most likely will dismiss (local charges) in lieu of federal prosecution.”
They couple are being held on $200,000 bond.
Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter.