By Mary Drier (Contact / Staff Bio)
March 18, 2009 - 09:53 a.m. EST

AKRON — Paul McDonald is relieved he wasn’t working March 13 when the Northstar bank in Akron was robbed.

“I’m closed on Fridays, and I’m just as glad with what was happening,” said McDonald, who owns an auto repair shop at 3583 N. Main, which is at the east side of a shared parking lot with Northstar Bank. “That’s getting way, way too close to home!

“I know times are hard and everyone is just trying to get by, but stealing is stealing.”

About 3:30 p.m., an armed suspect robbed the bank at 3559 North Main St.

“We have him on surveillance camera, and will be working to enhance the image,” said Michigan State Police (MSP) Detective Mark Krebs with Bad Axe post who is heading the investigation.

Krebs will be taking the video from the surveillance camera to Livonia, where the criminal investigation technical services unit is located.

According to the MSP bulletin, the suspect is a white male, in his 20s, about 5’10 - 5’11, slim build, brown hair, with stubbly facial hair. He was wearing a black jacket which had a hood with fuzzy trim, as well as dark jeans, dark shoes and a dark T-shirt with an emblem on it. He was also wearing black gloves.

“We have reason to believe he was armed,” said Krebs. “He implied he had a gun.”

No one was injured during the robbery.

“A bank robbery is what transpired, and that’s what the charge will be... the key language is putting someone in fear (with the threat of a weapon),” said Tuscola County Prosecutor Mark Reene. “Putting in fear is the key element of the charge.”

When the suspect is apprehended, and if he is found guilty, the sentence is life in prison.

Initially, a dollar amount from the robbery wasn’t available, but Krebs said it is believed the suspect took less than $1,000.

“The dollar amount of a bank robbery has no bearing,” said Reene. “The genesis of the punishment is to protect banks... do not rob banks is the message of the sentence.”

Talk around town is the suspect was seen wandering around town for awhile before the robbery.

“We’ve heard rumors of that but have found no fact of that,” said Krebs.

According to Northstar Bank’s Vice President Tom Kreh, this is the first robbery of the bank, which began operations in 2001.

FBI agents from the Bay City office were called in on the case.

“(FBI) Special Agent Banner from Bay City is assigned to the investigation. Anytime there is a bank robbery, the FBI is called in,” said Krebs. “They are involved in the investigation because of the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) insurance on banks.”

MSP Trooper Ruth Osborn with the Caro post is also working on the robbery.

Besides the State Police, FBI and Tuscola County Sheriff’s Department, the Fairgrove Police Department responded when Police Chief Jim Sherrod heard the call from central dispatch.

“When there is a bank robbery like that, there’s a possibility another (nearby) bank could be hit,” said Sherrod. “I gave a description of the suspect to our bank here (Chemical) of what the suspect looked like so they were aware.”

To report any information regarding this crime, contact the Michigan State Police at 1-800-824-7053.

Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.