Accused 'Tour de Banks' Robber Held on $800,000 Bail

The 29-year-old Bothell man believed to be the "Tour De Banks" bandit has had bail set at $800,000, The Seattle Times is reporting.

The man is being held in connection with eight bank robberies in King and Snohomish counties from January through September. Detectives who had been watching the man's home in Bothell arrested him Friday morning. On Saturday, a A King County judge found probable cause to hold him.

According to court documents, investigators found a connection between the robberies, the timing of the man's cash deposits and gambling losses. At one point, he suffered a $60,000 gambling loss, according to The Times.

The two largest heists involved the Washington Federal Bank in Monroe on July 30, in which $77,000 was stolen, and the robbery of Whidbey Island Bank in Mill Creek on Sept. 12, which reported a loss of $40,000, The Times said.

According to authorities, the robberies were committed by a man who spoke with an accent described as slightly European, and was typically armed with a Glock-style handgun or a knife while wearing a full-face ski mask, gloves, a dark baseball cap or hoodie, and a dark long sleeve sweatshirt. 

Police recovered a Glock pistol during a search of the man's home and business, an adult family home he owns in the 21100 block of 46 Ave SE in Snohomish County, court documents say.

Police believe the man hit banks three times in Woodinville. At a media briefing Friday afternoon, King County Sheriff Steve Strachan said the suspect had been increasingly aggressive with tellers and increasingly violent with his threats.

The man remains in King County Jail. The deadline for filing charges is Tuesday, deputy chief of staff for King County Prosector Dan Satterberg told the Times. Patch generally does not name suspects until they have been formally charged.