Two banks were robbed in the region this week: the Bank of Greene County in Greenport on Monday, and the Sawyer Savings Bank in Saugerties on Tuesday. Police have arrested suspects in both robberies, and think they may be connected.
On Tuesday, just hours after the Saugerties robbery, three suspects were arrested: John B. Streb Jr., 27, of Rochester; Ryan W. Novick, 31, of Rochester; and Amy K. Muhs, 29, of Albany. The Daily Freeman has more on the robbery and arrests.
Early this morning, while investigating the Greenport robbery, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office arrested another Rochester man, 24-year-old Jonathan Mills. The Daily Mail reported on Mills's arrest today.
Captain David Bartlett of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office told the Watershed Post that police are looking into the possibility that the robberies are connected.
"Possibly, but the investigation is still ongoing," he said.
The press release from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office states that money believed to have been stolen from the Greenport bank has been found in Saugerties and in the Westchester County town of Elmsford, where Mills was arrested.
The release also says that the case may shed light on other unsolved robberies:
The Sheriff’s Office continues the investigation along with District Attorney Paul Czajka’s Office, which includes executing a search warrant issued by County Court Judge Jonathan Nichols. Evidence Technicians from the Sheriff’s Office are working in Elmsford and at this time, at least part of the money believed stolen from the Greene County Bank in Greenport has been recovered in Saugerties and at the Motel in Elmsford, NY.
It is also believed that Mills may have been involved with other individuals who are responsible for multiple bank robberies. The investigation is continuing and additional arrests are possible.
Sheriff Harrison said that it is good police work and cooperation by Sheriff’s SR/Investigator Kevin Skype, Investigators Anthony Brahm, Mark Dunspaugh and Patrick Logue, along with State Police BCI Investigators from Troops F & K, the Saugerties Police Department and Columbia County Assistant District Attorney David Constanzo, all of whom worked all night, which led to locating and arresting Mills. He said that this investigation will most likely result in solving several other bank robberies in New York State.
