Suspected Utah bank robber arrested by authorities in Colorado
Oct 18, 2022, 6:52 PM
The alleged serial Utah bank robber, Markee Denzel Hagans, 24, at the Chase Bank. (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
(Federal Bureau of Investigation)
SALT LAKE CITY — Federal authorities say the alleged serial bank robber that robbed two banks and a man in Utah was arrested in Colorado Tuesday.
Markee Denzel Hagans, 24, of Utah, was arrested by the Greenwood Village Police Department with the help of FBI Denver’s Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, according to an FBI statement.
“Officers made contact with Hagans, who was inside a vehicle, at a hotel parking lot,” the FBI said. “He was arrested without incident.”
Hagans has been charged by the US District Court District of Utah with two credit union and bank robberies.
Update: Markee Denzel Hagans, 24, was arrested in Colorado yesterday. He is charged in a criminal complaint with two bank and credit union robberies. @DUTnews. Thank you to our law enforcement partners at @greenwoodgov and @FBIDenver.https://t.co/QLdvofh0vd
— FBI Salt Lake City (@FBISaltLakeCity) October 18, 2022
On Aug. 30, at approximately 2:31 p.m., Hagans entered and robbed the America First Credit Union at 3499 S., State Street, South Salt Lake, Utah, according to court documents. He was wearing a black beanie, a black face mask, black pants, and a black hoodie with a white triangular logo on the left chest. He was not wearing gloves during this robbery.
Hagans waited in line for a teller with his phone in his hand, occasionally placing it to his ear.
“When a teller was available, the suspect approached the teller and stated that he needed to make a withdrawal,” documents state. “The suspect reached in his pocket and gave the teller a note that told the teller to give the suspect all the money or the suspect would shoot instantly.”
The teller received money from their drawer and gave it to Hagans. He placed the money in his pocket and walked out of the credit union.
Ten days later, on Sept 9, at approximately 4:40 p.m, Hagans entered a different America First Credit Union, on North Main Street, Clearfield, Utah, according to court documents. He was wearing identical clothing to the first robbery and waited in line for a teller while holding his phone to his ear.
While in line, a man withdrew more than $12,000 to pay employees and left the credit union. Witnesses told authorities that Hagans followed the man out of the credit union.
According to court documents, Hagans approached the man and told him to give him all his money. Hagans took out a black handgun from his waistband and pointed at the man’s chest.
“(The victim) began to hand the money to the suspect and, in doing so, pushed the gun away from his chest,” according to court documents. “The suspect took the money and struck (the victim) in the head with the handgun.” Hagans fled the scene on foot.
On Sept. 27, at approximately 1:36 p.m., Hagans entered the Chase Bank located at 1285 E., 3900 South, Salt Lake City. He wore similar clothing, but the black hoodie had white Nike logos plastered all over it. Again, he wasn’t wearing gloves.
According to court documents, Hagans approached a teller and asked to make a withdrawal.
“The suspect reached in his pocket and gave the teller a note which, according to the teller, read something like, 20K or you die,” reads court documents. “The suspect then retrieved a black handgun from the front of his waistband and held the handgun on the counter, pointing it at the teller and told the teller to go get the money.”
The teller got the money from their drawer and gave it to Hagans, but he said it wasn’t enough and told the teller to get more. After getting more money, Hagans told the teller to sit down, and he walked out of the bank.
According to court documents, the Unified Police Department Forensic Unit arrived on the scene and was able to find a palm print on the teller station’s counter.
After reviewing security footage from all three robberies, FBI agents believed that the suspect committed all the robberies and released wanted posters to the public to help identify Hagans.
On Oct. 12, the UPD Forensics Unit contacted FBI agents and advised that the palm print was a positive match to Hagans. FBI agents used security footage and information from Hagans’s Utah Driver License to identify him.
Hagans appeared in the US District Court District of Colorado Tuesday. He was arrested for one count of credit union robbery and one count of bank robbery.
