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A Missouri man with a white beard and wire-rimmed glasses wearing a Santa Claus hat allegedly robbed a credit union branch after he threaten to blow it up with a bomb on Saturday, according to the St. Louis County Prosecutor's office.
Fifty-eight-year-old Kenneth Hopper walked into the Bridgeton branch of the $3.7 billion First Community Credit Union and demanded money from a teller after he threatened to use a bomb. Other people in the branch heard Hopper's bomb threat, according to a police report. Bridgeton is about 25 miles northwest of St. Louis.
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The teller handed over $1,000 to Hopper who then got away in a car. A few minutes later, he was pulled over by police on St. Charles Rock Road. Hopper told the police officer that the car was wired with a bomb, according to authorities.
About three-quarters of a mile of St. Charles Road was evacuated until a bomb squad could inspect the car, but the police report does not say whether a bomb was detected.
Apparently, no one was injured, and the stolen cash was retrieved by police.
Local media, however, reported Hopper was transported to a hospital after he began complaining of chest pains.
Hopper has been charged with robbery in the first degree, a felony, and terroristic threats, a first-degree felony, according to authorities.
He was being held on a $100,000 bond. Hopper's bond review hearing is set for Dec. 29 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 20, according to court records.
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Peter Strozniak
Credit Union Times reporter covering credit union operations, fraud, M&As, leagues, business continuity, and breaking news.
