Suspect Arrested for Three Bank Robberies
Detectives from the Montgomery County Police –Major Crimes Division have arrested and charged Morris Kenneth Thweatt, age 46, of the 7620 Maple Avenue, Apt. 304, in Takoma Park, for the robberies of three banks in Silver Spring.
Investigation by Montgomery County Police – Major Crimes detectives revealed that during these bank robberies, the male suspect, later identified as Thweatt, would enter the bank and pass a note to the teller stating that he had a bomb. Thweatt would then display a device wrapped in foil, claiming it was a bomb.
Thweatt was identified as the suspect through DNA evidence left at the scene and was determined to be responsible for the below bank robberies:
- June 10, 2014, Capital One bank located at 12293 Tech Road in Silver Spring
- July 2, 2014, Capital One bank located at 115 University Boulevard in Silver Spring
- July 22, 2014, Bank of America located at 10151 Colesville Road in Silver Spring
Thweatt was arrested by detectives on July 25 at his residence and charged with three counts of armed robbery. Thweatt was held without bond and as of July 29th, court records reflect that Thweatt is still in jail unless he can find someone to dig out some of the loot he robbed from the banks to post his $500,000 bail.
Thweatt reportedly used a fake bomb covered with tin foil, which he had crafted with a wire coming out of the end to convince bank tellers to hand over the loot. Police said that DNA was recovered from a hat which he had left behind in one of the heists. As he had been in the clink before, his DNA was matched to this crime.
According to court records, Zoe Rich Thweatt, of Towson, Md., filed for divorce from Morris K. Thweatt on July 25, 2014, the day after three counts of bank robbery were filed against him in Rockville, Md. by Montgomery County Police Officer R. Cassels. His first court hearing on the bank robbery charges will be held on Aug. 22, 2014.
In a May 5, 1999 Montgomery County, Md., case heard before Circuit Court Judge L. Leonard Ruben, Thweatt was given one year of probation as a result of being found guilty of unauthorized use of livestock/motor vehicle, in a plea agreement between the Montgomery County States Attorney and Thweatt’s public defender.