News Releases

Armed Bank Robbery Suspect Stopped by Officer as Suspect Exits Bank; Suspect Responsible for Six Bank Robberies in County

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, August 5, 2020

James Wersick, age 71, of an unconfirmed address, has been arrested and charged with committing six armed bank robberies in Montgomery County.  The six bank robberies committed by Wersick are as follows:

• January 27, 2012, approximately 9:35 a.m., M & T Bank, 10100 River Road, Potomac
• January 8, 2014, approximately 9:15 a.m., Capital One Bank, 7340 Westlake Terrace, Bethesda
• December 9, 2014, approximately 12:00 p.m., M & T Bank, 10420 Montgomery Avenue, Kensington
• February 13, 2016, approximately 9:18 a.m., PNC Bank, 10211 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda
• February 13, 2016, approximately 9:46 a.m., M & T Bank, 10420 Montgomery Avenue, Kensington
• August 4, 2020, approximately 10:09 am, PNC Bank, 10150 River Road, Potomac

On August 4, 2020, at approximately 10:09 a.m., the Emergency Communications Center (911) received a call from an employee at the PNC Bank located at 10150 River Road in Potomac, who stated that the bank was being robbed by a suspect armed with a gun.  The employee was able to provide a description of the male suspect which was broadcast to officers via police radio.

A patrol officer who was close to bank at the time of the call arrived at the bank as a male matching the suspect's description was exiting its front doors.  The officer ordered the male to stop.  The male refused and replied, "I'm a customer."  The officer caught up to the male and held him in order to prevent him from reaching into his pockets and potentially retrieving the gun that witnesses described the suspect as possessing during the robbery.  At the same time, an employee exited the bank and shouted to the officer that the male he had stopped was the bank robbery suspect.  As the officer took the suspect into custody, a handgun fell out of the suspect's pant pocket.  A white bag containing a large amount of cash and three knives were also found in the suspect's possession.  The suspect was identified as Wersick.

The investigation by Major Crimes detectives determined that Wersick entered the bank and began to yell at the customers and employees to move to a corner of the bank.  Wersick approached a teller, pointed a gun at her, and demanded cash.  He called the teller by her first name and told her he had been watching her and he knew where she lived.  He yelled at the people in the bank not to move and pointed his gun at them.  Wersick had the teller place the money in a white fabric bag that he had brought with him.  He then exited the bank and was stopped by the officer.

Further investigation by detectives determined that Wersick's physical description and his actions during this bank robbery were similar to those of a suspect who detectives believed had committed a series of armed bank robberies.  During police questioning, Wersick made admissions of guilt to committing all six Montgomery County robberies.

Wersick was transported to the Central Processing Unit and charged with six counts of armed robbery and additional charges related to those crimes.

Previous Press Releases:

Detectives Continue to Investigate Serial Bank Robber - Surveillance Video Released (March 3, 2016)

Bank Robberies in Bethesda and Kensington Believed to Be Related (February 14,2016)

Kensington Bank Robbery  (December 11, 2014)

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Release ID: 20-276
Media Contact: Rebecca Innocenti 
Categories: uncategorized