Maryland Man With 45-Year History Of Bank Robbery Arrested After Latest Attempt

Authorities in Maryland have arrested a 67-year-old man in connection with a robbery attempt at a Wells Fargo Bank in Frederick. The man has been connected to the robberies at several banks in the region for the last 45 years.

Steven Gregory Gass, also known as the "old man bandit," was arrested after he tried to rob the bank located on North Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg, WMAR reported Sunday.

The Wells Fargo Bank robbery attempt took place at around 9:30 a.m. ET on July 14. Police said Gass entered the bank wearing a light-colored fisherman's hat, sunglasses, and a large face mask. After entering the bank, Gass handed a note to the teller announcing a robbery.

The teller walked away and the other employees hit a silent alarm. Gass left the bank without getting any money. The arriving deputies saw him drive away in a black two-door Honda Civic.

Cops chased Gass down in Park and Ride on Route 80 near Interstate 270 and arrested him.

Detectives believe Gass has links to a June 18 robbery of a Truist Bank on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda. Cops said he passed a handwritten note announcing the robbery and left with cash. Gass is also being linked to another bank robbery in Baltimore County.

Gass' first-ever bank robbery reportedly dates back to 1977 in Montgomery County. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to at least 19 bank robberies in Florida consecutively in 2008 and 2009. He received a compassionate release from prison in 2019 on medical grounds and moved back to Maryland, where he was living with his parents until his arrest on July 14, NBC Washington reported.

Originally from Miami Springs, Florida, Gass reportedly worked as a telemarketing agent for a company that imported roses. After his career came to a halt, he got addicted to drugs and alcohol and started looting banks.

Police served a search warrant at the home of Gass' parents in Frederick on July 21 and confiscated evidence.

Gass is currently being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit without bond relating to two Montgomery County cases. He was also charged with an additional count of robbery in Baltimore County.