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Wheaton Bandit: The True Crime Story and Key Facts

Wheaton Bandit: Unidentified bank robber in northeastern Illinois. The documented story, timeline and key facts of the case.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team4 min read✓ Fact-checked
Wheaton Bandit
Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA

The Wheaton Bandit is an unidentified bank robber suspected to be responsible for as many as 16 armed robberies around Wheaton, Illinois from 2002 to 2006. He appeared to be 25 to 35 years old at the time of the robberies, always wore a hood or ski mask, and wore different clothing in each robbery. Instead of placing his finger on the gun trigger, he often kept his trigger finger along the side of the gun, a safety position that suggests firearms training. Outlines of his jackets suggest that he also wore a bulletproof vest.

Why the case is remembered

The Wheaton Bandit story remains one of the most discussed entries in true-crime history, covered in documentaries, podcasts and books. The summary above follows the publicly documented record.

Text adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Facts reflect the documented public record.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Wheaton Bandit?

The Wheaton Bandit is an unidentified bank robber suspected to be responsible for as many as 16 armed robberies around Wheaton, Illinois from 2002 to 2006. He appeared to be 25 to 35 years old at the time of the robberies, always wore a hood or ski mask, and wore different clothi.

Why is the Wheaton Bandit case famous?

It is one of the most documented bank robber cases, widely covered by true-crime media.

Sources

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