PHOENIX, AZ-On Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017, the Phoenix Police Department and the FBI Bank Robbery Task Force arrested Juan A. Rivera Jr., 35, who is believed to be the “Blues Bandit."
Rivera is a suspect in eight bank robberies throughout the valley between Oct. 3, 2016 and May 11, 2017. During each of the robberies the suspect was wearing a suit, fedora-style hat, and glasses. The suspect displayed a demand note and threatened a weapon during many of the robberies. No one was physically injured during the bank robberies.
The FBI Bank Robbery Task Force would like to thank the Phoenix Police Department who played an integral role in this investigation. Phoenix Police Department officers spent countless hours analyzing and ultimately identifying the suspect vehicle. They sifted through databases and records to identify the owner of the vehicle which ultimately led to the suspect being apprehended.
The FBI Bank Robbery Task Force would also like to thank the Glendale Police Department, the Surprise Police Department, Desert Schools Federal Credit Union, and WalMart Corporate Security for the assistance and resources they contributed to this investigation.
This is another example of an outstanding collaborative effort among law enforcement agencies throughout the valley.
Rivera has been charged in a criminal complaint, filed in federal court. A complaint is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for Arizona at http://www.azd.uscourts.gov/ or on PACER https://www.pacer.gov/
The FBI Bank Robbery Task Force is comprised of the Phoenix Police Department, Scottsdale Police Department, Mesa Police Department, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI.
No further information will be released at this time.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
