‘This is a stick up’: Man charged with robbing Aurora bank branch

A man was charged with robbing a bank branch Thursday afternoon in west suburban Aurora.

Lester N. Bernard, 58, of Aurora, is accused of robbing a BMO Harris Bank branch at 1252 N. Lake St., according to a statement from the FBI.

About 3 p.m., Bernard walked into the bank and approached a teller with a scribbled note demanding cash.

“This is a stick up don’t make it a murder!” the note said. He also said in the note and out loud that he had a gun.

The teller loaded about $3,393 into the bag Bernard provided — including a stack of $50 bait bills, prosecutors said. Bernard then ran out the bank.

He was followed by a security guard and two Aurora firefighters who happened to be outside, prosecutors said. The three cornered Bernard until police officers arrived and took him into custody.

A stack of cash found in Bernard’s bag matched the serial numbers of the bait bills the teller gave him, prosecutors said.

Bernard appeared before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Susan Cox on Monday and was ordered detained, prosecutors said.