Man accused of string of bank robberies around King County
(King County Prosecutor's Office)
KIRKLAND, Wash. - A Kirkland man has been arrested and charged for an alleged string of robberies around King County, and prosecutors note he has a two-decade criminal history.
King County prosecutors have charged 66-year-old Richard Antis with three counts of first-degree robbery, stemming from bank robberies carried out in November and early December. In all, banks were hit in Kirkland, Woodinville and Kenmore.
On Nov. 10 around 3:58 p.m., Kirkland Police were called to reports of a robbery at a Wells Fargo bank at 9750 NE 117th Ln. Officers spoke with witnesses, including a teller who said a man came up and handed her a note that read, "Give me all your 50s and 100s." The teller complied and provided around $8,000 in cash, then the suspect left.
On Dec. 1 around 4:41 p.m., King County deputies were called to a robbery at a Wells Fargo in Woodinville. Employees explained that, as was reported in Kirkland, a man came in and handed the teller a note that read "Give me all your $100 and $50 bills." While the teller was grabbing cash, he became agitated and reached over the counter and grabbed her arm, saying, "This is not a game, give me all your $100 and $50 bills." The man left with $1,800 in cash.
A person captured on video the suspect driving off in a red Chevrolet Blazer. Deputies reviewed the video and made out a Washington license plate #CFP2925. That plate was matched to a red 2000 Chevrolet Blazer registered to Richard Antis, who lives in the Finn Hill neighborhood of Kirkland.
Witnesses of both robberies provided similar suspect descriptions—a man roughly in his 50s with a gray beard, wearing black work boots and black gloves. Witnesses also described the suspect as having a "wide," rounded nose. Authorities matched Antis' driver's license photo to the suspect description, then received a court order to place an electronic tracker on the red Blazer parked at his house on Dec. 6.
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On Dec. 9 at 12:45 p.m., deputies were called to a robbery at Chase bank in Kenmore. The teller told authorities a man came in and handed over a note that read "Give me all your $100 and $50s, this is not a joke." The teller handed over $2,500, and the suspect left and drove away in a red Chevy Blazer.
Authorities found that GPS location data for Antis' phone was synchronized with location data for his Blazer, suggesting Antis was responsible for the robbery.
Antis was sitting in his car at NE 145th St and 77th Ave NE, wearing the same clothes as the suspect of the Kenmore bank robbery. He was arrested and booked into King County Jail.
Prosecutors note that Antis has a prior first-degree robbery conviction in Washington from 2017, as well as a bank robbery conviction in California from 2001. He has a criminal history in Tennessee, Florida, Washington, California and North Carolina.