Jun. 20--A Buffalo man released from federal prison in September after serving two years for robbing a downtown M&T Bank robbed the same bank of $10 Tuesday, then calmly waited in the lobby, in hopes FBI agents would arrest him, Buffalo police said.
Kristoffer D. Cook, 27, sitting in the lobby of the M&T Bank at Fountain Plaza, asked police, "When is the FBI coming?" police said. He was charged with third-degree robbery.
Police believe Cook, currently a resident of a group home on Monroe Street, wanted to be returned to federal prison. Cook did not say what his motive was, police said.
The FBI handed routine bank robbery investigation responsibilities to local authorities in May 2005 as part of a shift in the agency's national investigation priorities. The agency still investigates some bank robberies, including those involving armored cars.
Cook robbed the bank at about 9:15 a.m, passing a note to a teller, who handed him money from a cash drawer, police said.
Cook left most of the money on the counter, walked away and told a security guard that he "would be sitting over there," according to police.
"Apparently [Cook] only grabbed a small amount -- like 10 bucks," said Michael J. De- George, Buffalo police spokesman. "Then, he apparently walks to the chair in the lobby and sits down."
The bank alarm was sounded and the doors to the bank closed, locking Cook inside the bank.
The bank manager told police the suspect was wearing a blue shirt at the time of the robbery.
"Sgt. [Thomas] Donovan said, 'Like blue in my shirt -- like this?" DeGeorge said. "The bank manager said, 'No -- more like the blue with that guy sitting over there,' " referring to Cook.
Copyright (c) 2007, The Buffalo News, N.Y. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
