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'Bucket List Bandit:' Bank Robber Arrested, FBI Says

By Deanne Katz, Esq. on September 18, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

The man police named the 'bucket list bandit' has finally been caught after a spree of bank robberies.

Michael Eugene Brewster of Pensacola, Florida, was arrested Thursday in Oklahoma during a routine traffic stop. Police pulled him over for driving a vehicle that was reported stolen. The Utah license plates on the vehicle were fake, reports the FBI.

From there, police found enough evidence to believe he was the interstate bank robber and arrested him. Now he's in trouble with the federal government and probably also with the many states where he stole money.

Brewster began his suspected crime spree in June when he robbed a bank in Colorado. From there he allegedly went on to repeat his crime in eight other states before he was caught in mid-September.

In addition to Colorado, Brewster is reported to have robbed banks in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, North Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, and Pennsylvania.

It's unclear how much he allegedly stole although it's at least more than $4,080. That amount was listed on the arrest warrant as what was stolen from a Pennsylvania bank, reports Associate Press.

Robbery is a serious theft crime since it involves physical force against the person being robbed. Rather than charging the suspect with assault and theft, robbery serves as a single claim that encompasses both crimes.

Brewster could be held to account for his crimes in each state he allegedly took money. Because of the interstate route he could also be charged by the federal government.

Federal crimes must be ones that affect interstate commerce. Robbing big banks can trigger that immediately but a string of robberies across the country will also invoke federal laws.

The fact that Brewster reportedly committed this crime multiple times will work against him in court. It could be used as evidence that he is likely to reoffend when it comes to sentencing.

As for his moniker, the 'bucket list bandit' was born after he gave a teller a note saying he only had four months to live. In other robberies he also told tellers that he had cancer, reports USA Today.

It's not currently known whether Brewster actually does have a fatal illness. He's being held at a local jail in Oklahoma for the time being.

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