Police: Iowa City bank robberies might be related

Iowa City police say it's possible that the same man robbed two area banks in less than a month. Both cases remain unsolved and the FBI has joined the investigation(s).

"We've seen that in the past; the same person has hit multiple banks in a short amount of time," said Iowa City Police Sergeant Denise Brotherton.

The first robbery happened on Friday, November 18 at the U.S. Bank on Mormon Trek Boulevard in Iowa City.  According to police, a white male entered the bank armed with a handgun at 5:21 p.m.

The second robbery happened on Friday, December 16 at the MidWestOne Bank on Rochester Avenue in Iowa City. The suspect was again a white male armed with a handgun. The suspect entered the bank at 5:27 p.m., police said.

In both robberies the suspect was wearing a dark sweatshirt and a black mask. He was also carrying a similar bag, which was used to escape with an undisclosed amount of money in both cases, police said.

"We'll see (robberies) in clusters like that," Brotherton said. "They usually happen in three's."

U.S. Bank has offered a reward of $10,000 for the arrest and conviction of the suspect in that robbery. Iowa City Area CrimeStoppers is offering a reward for each case of $1,000.  Anyone with information is urged to call the CrimeStoppers hot-line at 319-358-TIPS (8477).