Report: Springfield bank robbery suspect demanded $180, bought beer moments later

An affidavit filed with the charge says the suspect demanded $180 in $20 bills from a bank teller during a robbery on Friday.

Springfield police began their investigation when they were called to the bank at around 5 p.m. They spoke with witnesses who said they saw Holbert approach the bank with his hood up, the affidavit says, even though temperatures were around 80 degrees.

“He stopped at a counter where the deposit and withdrawal forms are located,” the affidavit says. “He wrote out a note on a slip and turned to walk to the teller counter.”

The note told the teller to give him money, the affidavit says.

“Hurry … give me $180 now or get hurt bad,” the note read, the affidavit says. “She counted out $180 in twenty dollar bills and gave it to Jeffrey Holbert.”

Holbert then allegedly left the bank and began to walk westbound. As officers were gathering evidence a witness came to the bank and told them he knew where the suspect was.

“(A police sergeant) advised she spoke to (a witness) who was with Mr. Holbert prior to the bank robbery,” the affidavit says. “They walked into John’s drive-thru together to buy beer. Mr. Holbert tried to steal the beer from the cooler and was stopped by the employee. Mr. Holbert looked to the employee and said ‘hold on, I am going to get some money.’ He then walked out to West Main Street and walked toward the bank.”

A few minutes later Holbert came back, the affidavit says.

“He returned and told (the witness) ‘I just knocked off the bank for $180. I hid the money in a bush behind John’s Drive-Thru,’” the affidavit says. “He walked her around to the east side of the building and pulled the money out of the bush. It was just after that he was located by police.”