A 74-year-old Ohio woman who was the victim of an online scam allegedly tried to remedy her financial problems by robbing a credit union, police said.
Ann Mayers was arrested at her home in Hamilton, Ohio, after the Fairfield Township Police Department said she robbed an AurGroup credit union. Credit union employees told police that a woman entered the bank on April 19 and “demanded money while displaying a gun.” police said in a Facebook post.
While at Mayers’ home, police found the silver 2014 Hyundai Elantra that she allegedly drove during the robbery, according to the post. Mayers admitted to the robbery when police arrived at the home, so officers took her into custody, the department said.
Fairfield Township police detectives found a gun in Mayers’ vehicle, the Facebook post said.
Before the alleged robbery, Mayers had no criminal history, police said. She was charged with aggravated robbery with a firearm and tampering with evidence, both felonies, according to the department.
It is unclear from Butler County court records whether Mayers has hired an attorney for his criminal case.
Is Ann Mayers a victim of fraud?
Police learned Mayers may have been a victim of fraud after detectives spoke with her family, who told them she was sending money to an “unidentified individual,” Sgt. Brandon McCroskey said in an email to USA TODAY.
“In this regard, some may see her as a ‘victim’. Unfortunately, Ann chose to victimize several other people at the bank by robbing it at gunpoint as a remedy for her situation,” McCroskey said.
If true, McCroskey called Mayers’ situation “very sad and unfortunate.” Regardless, Mayer “took the time to plan this robbery as evidence shows she removed the license plate from the car and attempted to remove a bumper sticker,” the sergeant said.
“She also reportedly spoke to family members about bank robberies in the days leading up to the robbery, but the family did not take her comments seriously,” according to McCroskey.
Mayers is currently being held at the Butler County Jail, inmate records show. She will remain in jail until her first court appearance, police said.
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: Bank robbery suspect in Ohio, Ann Mayers, 74, was victim of scam: Family
