‘Bad Hair Bandit’ strikes another area bank, now linked to six local robberies

A wanted poster, released by the FBI Monday, shows the suspect in two of the six area robberies.

Less than a week after hitting Hometown Bank of Corbin, a bank robber the FBI has dubbed "The Bad Hair Bandit" struck again, robbingthe Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Jacksboro, Tenn.

According officials with the Knoxville, Tenn. Division of the FBI, about 1:25 p.m. Friday, an individual came into the credit union, displayed a handgun and demanded money.

Witnesses described the person as a white male in his mid to late 20s, about 5’6" to 5’8" tall, and weighing 185 to 190 pounds.
As with Tuesday’s robbery at Hometown Bank, the robber was wearing gray sweatpants, a gray hoodie sweatshirt, a curly blond wig, dark-colored toboggan and dark, wrap-around sunglasses.

With these two robberies, the FBI has dubbed the perpetrator, "The Bad Hair Bandit." He is being sought for his involvement in six bank robberies in Kentucky and Tennessee over the course of the four-and-a-half months.

The robber is using a variety of wigs, varying in color, length and style in an effort to alter his appearance, FBI officials stated.

On June 9, the First Volunteer Bank located at 189 Fifth Street in Jellico, Tenn. was robbed. The suspect, a white male, wearing a short, curly dark women’s wig and sunglasses, entered the bank at approximately 10:50 a.m. and waited in the lobby until asked to approach the teller. He demanded money via note, placed the money in a turquoise cloth bag, and subsequently fled the bank on foot.

On June 17, the suspect robbed the Commercial Bank located at 202 North Main Street in Barbourville. He was described as a white male wearing a short, curly, dark-colored women’s wig and sunglasses, entered the bank’s lobby around 5:15 p.m. and handed the teller a note demanding cash. The suspect fled the bank, in a small dark sedan, carrying an undisclosed amount of money in a black gym bag.

On July 5, at approximately 4:50 p.m., the Bank of McCreary located at 3995 U.S. Highway 27 South in Pine Knot was robbed. The robber, described as a white male wearing a short, blonde women’s wig and sunglasses, displayed a black semi-automatic handgun and aggressively approached the teller after a short wait in line. The suspect fled with the money, and he may have been observed being dropped off and picked up in a small, black sedan.

On August 19, at approximately 4:50 p.m., he robbed the Forcht Bank located at 1881 South U.S. Highway 25E in Barbourville. The suspect, a white male wearing a long, blonde women’s wig and sunglasses, entered the bank’s lobby carrying a dark gym bag and approached the tellers. The suspect then pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at the tellers and demanded cash. The suspect then fled the scene and was seen entering the passenger side of a white, four-door vehicle (possibly a Chrysler Sebring) with a Confederate flag decal on the trunk and missing a hubcap on the passenger’s side.

The Hometown Bank of Corbin was the target on Oct. 25. According to Whitley County Sheriff Colin Harrell, the robber came in about 1:30 p.m., pointed an automatic pistol at the teller and demanded money. The money was placed in a black bag the robber had brought with him, after which he ran out and jumped into the passenger side of a white Crylser Sebring.

About 5 p.m. the car was reported to police after a man looking at houses found it parked behind a home on Eatontown Road.
An investigation revealed the car had been sold in the parking lot of the Williamsburg Walmart in June.
The FBI is offering a reward for the arrest and conviction of the "Bad Hair Bandit."

Law enforcement is warning that the robber should be considered armed and dangerous and anyone who encounters him should us caution.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI