Serial Bank Robbery Suspect Charged In DeKalb

DUNWOODY, GA — A 71-year-old man accused in a string of bank robberies is now facing charges in DeKalb County, Dunwoody Police said Wednesday.

Police said officers responded around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday to a robbery in progress call at a bank in the 5500 block of Chamblee Dunwoody Road.

The man, identified by police as Sharke Bankston, was accused of showing a demand note for money before leaving the bank without the money. He was then accused of presenting the note again at another Chamblee Dunwoody bank, leaving with an unknown amount of cash.

When officers responded, police said they found Bankston in the nearby woods, where he had changed clothes.

Bankston was detained and taken in for questioning, police said. He was linked to two other bank robberies, one in Brookhaven and another in Chamblee, police said.

Brookhaven Police said a bank robbery in a similar fashion as Dunwoody's occurred on July 23 at a Town Boulevard credit union. After showing a demand note, police said the suspect left the bank with $1,100. The suspect was identified as Bankston, police said.

DeKalb County Jail records show Bankston was arrested and charged on suspicion of robbery by intimidation, robbery by force and two counts of armed robbery. He remained incarcerated without bond Thursday.