Minneapolis BNC Bank Robber Charged

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 43-year-old man accused of robbing the BNC Bank in Minneapolis, armed with a gun, has been charged.

Andrew Joseph Puopolo was charged with one count of second-degree aggravated robbery and one count of second-degree attempted aggravated robbery. He is currently at Hennepin County Jail.

Police say they were dispatched to the BNC Bank, 733 Marquette Ave. S., last Friday on a report that a bank robbery had just occurred. Officials told police a man entered and demanded money both verbally and with a note (which also stated that he was armed with a gun).

He was described as wearing a black puffy coat, carrying a backpack.

He fled the bank with stolen money that included several bills with pre-recorded serial numbers and got into a cab. While en route to Mound, the suspect used the cab driver's cell phone. Then after arriving to his destination, he didn't pay his cab fare and ran away, leaving his backpack in the car.

Inside the backpack, officers found an ID for Andrew Joseph Puopolo.

Investigators executed a search warrant at Puopolo's home and found a black, puffy jacket from the garbage and some of the bait money from the robbery. Puopolo was arrested when he returned to the home.