SCRANTON -- The FBI now says 10 bank robberies in three area counties are the work of just one man. There's a $35,000 reward for anyone with information that can take this serial bank robber off the streets.
The special agent in charge at the FBI's Scranton office believes law enforcement could be just one clue or one witness away from arresting the man believed to be responsible for those 10 bank holdups in Lackawanna, Wayne, and Monroe Counties.
Investigators say the serial robber first struck in December 2015 at an NBT Bank branch in Elmhurst in Lackawanna County.
Within seven weeks he hit an NBT in Newfoundland twice and two banks in Scranton.
After taking the spring and summer off, the FBI says the serial robber hit five more banks this fall and winter, including three in the Poconos from October through January 4.
"He's a violent criminal," said FBI Special Agent Sean Quinn.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Quinn says this serial robber has not only stolen money, he's robbed bank tellers and customers of their sense of safety.
"I don't know how many customers or employees were in those 10 banks at the time, but let's say there were 10 in each bank. There are now 100 victims of violent crime based just upon this one person," Special Agent Quinn said.
"We feel that someone out there has some information. We hope that individual will come forward," said Lt. Peter Gutowski, Pennsylvania State Police.
Police believe that someone may be a witness or someone might know this serial robber and has seen an individual who mysteriously has more money to spend.
To catch him, the FBI and Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers are now offering rewards totaling $35,000 for information that can lead to this bank robber's arrest.
"Many bank robbery rewards are a lot less than this. In the neighborhood of $1,000 or $2,000, so $35,000 is a large sum of money for this," said Quinn.
"It could be that little bit of information that puts us over the top to ultimately arrest the individual quicker than we're going to arrest them," said Scranton Police Chief Carl Graziano.
Law enforcement officers believe the serial bank robber will hold up another bank soon if he is not caught.
You can reach Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers with your tips here.