Georgia man threatens to infect bank staff with Covid during robbery

Suspect is arrested after leaving the scene empty-handed

A bank robber who claimed he was infected with Covid-19 threatened to spread the novel coronavirus to anyone who stood in the way of his demands, according to Georgia law enforcement.

Deputies from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office took a suspect named Victor Hardley Crawley into custody late last month after he attempted to rob a Chase bank in Riverdale, passing a note questing cash to the teller.

Mr Crawley reportedly told the teller he was infected with the deadly virus, responsible for more than 280,000 deaths nationwide since the outbreak began earlier this year.

He said he would expose others in the bank to the virus, according to police, who were contacted by bank employees that managed to call the sheriff’s office.

Mr Crawley left the bank without any cash and was later arrested at his home.

He told police he was behind on his bills and was hoping the robbery could help him catch up, according to local news reports. 

The suspect explained that he had “fallen on financial hardship” and needed $2,000 to get back up to speed on his bills. He reportedly was not armed and did not present any weapons during the attempted robbery.

Coronavirus restrictions have once again been implemented in states across the country as a surge in infections envelopes the United States, with regions that once managed to battle back the rate of spread now seeing an uptick in their positivity levels. Millions of Americans remain unemployed as businesses are closed nationwide.

 Millions of Americans remain unemployed as businesses are closed nationwide.