Bank robbery arrest made

BY KYLE WIND
Times-Shamrock Writer

A car crash, recovered clothing and a DNA test led state police to charge a Jermyn man Thursday with robbing a Susquehanna County bank more than two months ago.

Troopers arrested Ivan Joseph Karosus, 30, on Thursday at his 564 Washington St. home on robbery and theft charges stemming from a heist at a First National Bank in Clifford Twp. on March 9.

A man walked into the bank at 1638 Route 106 at about 3:10 p.m. that day holding a piece of paper that read “I have a gun” and demanded, “Just give me your hundreds and fifties and hurry up,” a bank teller told police.

The robber fled with $1,150. The man wore a yellow cloth over his face, but another witness reported seeing a red four-door vehicle being driven on Airport Road shortly after the robbery. Troopers later discovered clothes matching what the suspect wore — a black long-sleeved shirt, green knit cap and yellow fabric — lying along the road, according to court documents.

Troopers eventually linked Mr. Karosus to those clothes after a car wreck on the Casey Highway on April 5, when Mr. Karosus crashed a red four-door Pontiac Sunfire. Troopers recovered blood-stained clothing from the wreck and matched the DNA to hair found inside the recovered hat, according to court documents.

Bail and preliminary hearing information for Mr. Karosus were not immediately available Thursday.

State police spokeswoman Trooper Connie Devens would not comment specifically on whether Mr. Karosus is a suspect in any other bank robberies locally but did say state police are working with other law enforcement agencies.

“Since we’ve had numerous bank robberies in the area, we’re sharing any information we receive through our investigation with other departments to help them solve theirs as well,” Trooper Devens said.

A red four-door Pontiac Sunfire was also linked to a robbery at the Honesdale National Bank, 13 Chapman Road, Scott Twp., on March 30. Police said the robber in that incident fled in such a vehicle.