Man and woman charged with robbing Avondale bank

A man and woman tried to rob two TCF Bank branches before successfully robbing a third in the Avondale neighborhood on the Northwest Side, according to the FBI.

Michael Terry, 25, and Nyllara Badejo, 20, both of Chicago, are charged with robbing a TCF Bank branch at 3570 N. Elston Ave. on Jan. 31, according to a criminal complaint filed May 22 in U.S. District Court.

At 2:29 p.m. on Jan. 31, Terry and Badejo entered a different TCF Bank branch at 4042 W. Foster Ave., according to the complaint. Badejo handed the teller an envelope and instructed the teller to cash the contents.

The teller opened the envelope and showed Badejo that it was empty, according to the complaint. Badejo turned to Terry and said something to the effect of, “You didn’t put it in there.” Terry responded and said “It must be in the car.”

Badejo took the envelope back, and she and Terry left the bank, according to the complaint.

Less than half an hour later, Terry and Badejo entered a second TCF Bank branch at 4660 W. Irving Park Rd., according to the complaint. They stood in line, but left a few minutes later without approaching the teller counter.

At 3:31 p.m., less than an hour after their first attempt, Terry and Badejo robbed the TCF Bank branch at 3570 N. Elston Ave., according to the complaint. Badejo approached the teller window and handed the teller an envelope containing a note which said, “GIVE ME 30,000 CASH NO DYE BACK DO NOT BE A HERO.”

The teller retrieved $469 from the drawer and gave it to Badejo, according to the complaint. Terry paced back and forth behind the other bank customers during the robbery.

Photos of the suspects were posted online, and five tipsters identified Terry as the male suspect, and eight tipsters identified Badejo as the female suspect, according to the complaint.

Cellphone records also place Terry and Badejo in the area, and Badejo’s fingerprint was found on the envelope used in the Elston Avenue robbery. according to the complaint.

Terry and Badejo were arrested May 24 by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, and they were ordered detained at their initial appearance in federal court on the same day, according to FBI spokesman Garrett Croon.