A man was detained after reportedly attempting to steal a bank of $650 in order to pay his rent and stay off the streets.
According to a federal complaint that was released on Monday, the FBI detained Michael Noojin, 67, when he attempted to rob a Bank of America in Hollywood, Florida, of the money.
Noojin stood in queue to see a teller while donning a yellow polo shirt with sailboats and birds printed all over it, blue jeans, white sneakers and sunglasses.
Noojin waited as the teller promised to help him in a moment.
According to the complaint, when Noojin approached the teller and she asked for his debit card, he responded by saying that he had a gun and instructed her to put all the money in a bag.
At that moment, Noojin put a brown plastic bag under the glass in front of the teller.
Noojin said, “I’m serious, I have a gun. Please put the money in the bag. ”
According to the complaint, the person who was working at the counter did not see a gun and began to lock her drawer with money.
Two more people who heard what happened started locking their cash drawers and a loud alarm went off to get help quickly.
As the bank employees started to move away because they were scared, Noojin quickly took a bag from under a protective glass and ran out of the bank through an emergency exit in a direction that nobody knows.
In the afternoon of August 24, someone noticed Noojin from pictures of the bank robbery on the news. They then told the police where he was living in a halfway house in Hallandale Beach.
In the evening, police talked to Noojin at the halfway house and he admitted to stealing money from the bank.
The complaint says that Noojin said he robbed the bank because he needed money to pay his rent and he was very desperate.
‘He only had one more opportunity to get $650. 00 before he would become homeless. ’
Noojin has been accused of trying to steal money from a bank employee using intimidation. The money belonged to the bank and was in their control.
He is in FBI custody because the bank is insured by the FDIC. Noojin has to go to a court in Fort Lauderdale that is run by the government.