Chicago man admits to robbing eight banks in city and suburbs

CHICAGO — A man has admitted in federal court that he robbed eight Chicago-area banks over a seven-month period in 2019.

MANUEL MARTINEZ, 26, of Chicago, pleaded guilty Tuesday to three counts of bank robbery. Martinez admitted in a plea agreement that he robbed a total of eight banks in Chicago and nearby suburbs from April to September of 2019.

Two co-defendants – ANDRES ADAME, 37, of Melrose Park, Ill., and AARON FLORES, 24, of Chicago – previously pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery apiece and admitted to participating with Martinez in some of the heists.

Martinez, Adame, and Flores admitted to participating in the following robberies:

• Citibank, 3535 N. Central Ave. in Chicago, on Sept. 17, 2019.
• TCF Bank, 1 W. Devon Ave. in Park Ridge, Ill., on Sept. 18, 2019.
• PNC Bank, 10272 W. Grand Ave. in Franklin Park, Ill., on Sept. 26, 2019.
• Fifth Third Bank, 5670 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, on Sept. 27, 2019.
• U.S. Bank, 7312 W. Grand Ave. in Elmwood Park, Ill., on Oct. 2, 2019.

Martinez and Adame also admitted to participating in the following robberies:

• Chase Bank, 7007 Dempster St. in Niles, Ill., on April 6, 2019.
• TCF Bank, 9343 W. Irving Park Rd. in Schiller Park, Ill., on Sept. 6, 2019.

In addition, Martinez admitted to robbing Citibank, 3535 N. Central Ave. in Chicago, on April 10, 2019, while Adame admitted to robbing U.S. Bank, 10035 W. Grand Ave. in Franklin Park, Ill., on Feb. 2, 2019, and Chase Bank, 2639 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, on April 27, 2019.

According to the criminal complaint, the defendants would hop the bank counters and demand money from the drawers immediately accessible to bank employees. They would often threaten bank tellers physically and verbally, telling the employees they would "shoot them" if they sounded any alarm.

The average amount the men stole was $2,500 in each robbery. The maximum amount the men got away with at one bank was approximately $5,300 and the lowest amount the men were able to steal was $500 in one robbery.

Each count of bank robbery is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman set sentencings for Oct. 4, 2022, for Adame; Oct. 13, 2022, for Flores; and Nov. 30, 2022, for Martinez.

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