At around 10:20 a.m. on August 14, the Springfield Police Department received a report regarding a bank robbery that had taken place at the Financial Partners Credit Union at 940 N. MacArthur Blvd. Police found that a masked male had entered the bank brandishing a firearm, demanding money from the bank employees. The individual then left the premises with multiple cash drawers containing an unspecified sum of money. The suspect was described as a black male, attired in black pants and a grey shirt.
An eyewitness reported observing a black vehicle without a front license plate speeding away from the alley located behind the bank shortly after the robbery. In response, the Criminal Investigations Division interviewed witnesses and processed evidence. No injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
Utilizing the Flock system, which employs license plate readers, detectives managed to identify and subsequently initiate a thorough investigation into the suspect vehicle.
Subsequent to these efforts, on August 15, 2023, law enforcement apprehended Mark A. Patterson, aged 55 and hailing from Springfield, at the Lincoln Lodge Hotel, specifically at 304 N. Dirksen Parkway. During the arrest, a firearm and currency were successfully recovered from Patterson's possession.
Mark A. Patterson was taken into custody and is now facing a range of charges, including financial institution robbery, armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a weapon by a felon, and theft of property. Presently, he is being held in custody at the Sangamon County Jail.