Wheaton bank robbery says he used the cash to pay his rent: FBI

A man has been charged in a 2018 bank robbery in west suburban Wheaton.

Timothy Bender is accused of robbing almost $5,000 from a Chase Bank on March 21, 2018, according to a criminal complaint filed by the FBI.

Shortly before the robbery, Bender allegedly changed his clothes in a nearby medical facility’s restroom, donning a surgical mask and green cap, according to the complaint.

He then allegedly entered the bank, located in the 1800 block of South Naperville Road, approached the teller and said, “I have they flu … I want all the money in the drawer … Just give me the money. Do it now.”

The teller asked what he wanted exactly, and Bender said all the loose bills.

“I’m sorry I had to do this but you know,” Bender said, according to the complaint. He stuffed the bills into his jacket.

Surveillance video allegedly shows Bender leaving the bank and entering the medical facility’s bathroom again, according to the complaint. Police searched the restroom the next day and found a green hat and surgical mask hidden behind ceiling panels.

Bender was arrested for retail theft by Wheaton police on March 14, 2019, according to the complaint. Investigators went to Bender’s workplace, identified only as a “recreation center,” and spoke to six people who were able to confirm Bender was the robber shown in surveillance photos, the complaint states.

The FBI said Bender admitted to robbing the bank, although he recalled only stealing $2,600 instead of nearly $5,000. Bender told investigators he used the money to pay his landlord his rent, according to the complaint.