| US
Bank robbed
The Cottonwood Office of US Bank was robbed last Friday, May 16 a little after 3 p.m. A white man believed to be of medium stature with a teardrop tattoo under one eye made off with an unspecified amount of money and escaped in what was described as a mid-90’s silver 4-door economy car driven by a second person. The suspect, wearing a white baseball cap with a plaid flannel shirt over a t-shirt and jeans approached a teller window and handed the teller a note. No firearm or weapon of any kind was shown. The suspect took the money and left. Cottonwood Police Chief said that it appears the vehicle came in off the highway, stopped at the bank and then headed right back out to the highway. He also went on to say that contrary to rumors, the Nezperce bank was not robbed. The two suspects however were suspected of similar robberies at two banks in Ontario, Ore. At about 7 a.m. Sunday, an anonymous tip was phoned in to the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office that the suspects were staying in the Cedars Inn in Lewiston. Lewiston Police verified the information, identified the suspects’ vehicle and assembled a SWAT team. Ricky A. Fisher, 35, of Nampa, and Jennifer L. Balfe, 19, of Meridian, were taken into custody without incident at about 11 a.m. Sunday as they walked out of their motel room. They were taken to the Lewiston Police Department to face questioning from the FBI and from Cochran. Both were later taken to the Nez Perce County Jail on one count each of robbery, burglary and grand theft according to Cochran. As of Monday it was confirmed that they were the suspects in the Ontario robberies. Cochran said it was undetermined whether they would be tried in federal court where they could be charged with all three robberies or separately in Idaho County and in Ontario. The anonymous informant that called Sunday said he felt pretty confident that the two suspects were staying at a Lewiston hotel. The caller said a person matching the description of the suspect and a woman were spending large amounts of cash at Clearwater River Casino. The informant even said the man bragged about being on the run. ICSO contacted the LPD and things continued from there. Fisher and Balfe were questioned for several hours at the Lewiston Police Station before being arrested and taken to jail at about 7 p.m. Cochran said Monday that it is fortunate that no one was hurt in the Cottonwood incident. As a precaution St. Mary’s Hospital went into lockdown after learning of the incident and went back to normal status later Friday evening. Schools had let out just minutes earlier or they might have done the same. The last bank robbery/burglary in Cottonwood is believed to have taken place in the early 1950’s when burglars came in through the roof at the bank that was located about where Harman Agency is now. Monday, the suspects appeared before Magistrate Judge Jeff P. Payne at the Idaho County Courthouse in Grangeville on charges related to the robbery. During Payne’s questioning of Fisher to determine whether he could hire his own attorney, Fisher told the judge he had no job nor income because he was released from federal prison for bank robbery two weeks ago. Fisher told Payne he had been in prison since 1999. Balfe said she had no prior criminal record but is unemployed and living with her parents. Payne appointed Idaho County public defender Chris Lamont to represent Fisher and Moscow attorney Charles Kovis to defend Balfe. Preliminary hearings for both were set for 9:30 a.m. May 29. Bond for Fisher was set at $250,000. Balfe’s bond is $75,000. If convicted, the maximum penalty for robbery is five years to life in prison. The crime also carries a $50,000 fine. 
Mug shots taken by Lewiston Police of the bank robbery suspects Ricky A. Fisher and Jennifer L. Balfe after they were taken into custody on Sunday. They intentionally zoomed out on Fisher to show his t-shirt, which says “It’s all fun & games until the cops show up.” |
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