Following her armed robbery of an Ohio bank, a 74-year-old lady was taken into custody and prosecuted. Family members of Ann Mayers, 74, said that she was the victim of an internet scammer who may have been attempting to help her with her money issues.
Mayers stole an Ohio credit union last week, on April 19. After Friday's heist in Fairfield Township, which is north of Cincinnati, Mayers is charged with two counts of aggravated robbery with a firearm and tampering with evidence.
The complaint states that Mayers chose to throw her clothes out the car window on her drive home following the heist, which is the basis for the second charge.
Mayers might spend up to 15 years in jail if found guilty. She was still being held on a $100,000 bond on Wednesday, April 24, awaiting her initial court appearance.
According to court documents, she does not have an attorney. Shortly after the incident, Mayers was taken into custody at her Hamilton home, according to a Facebook post from Fairfield police.
Police claim she used the weapon she found in her car to carry out the crime.
According to a copy of the complaint, Ann Mayers allegedly admitted to Fairfield Township Police Department (FTPD) investigators that she was the one who entered the AurGroup Financial Credit Union Bank and brandishing a revolver, demanding that a teller turn over some of the bank's cash.
It reportedly only took Mayers a few seconds to confess, as captured on bodycam footage from the moment of her arrest, telling the arresting cops, "I did whatever you're here for."
In response to the cops' request for more details, Mayers is heard on camera stating, "The robbery." A 74-year-old lady, who had lost her life savings to internet con artists, robs a bank at gunpoint.
Mayers left her bank heist with $500, according to the authorities. After learning that Mayers may have fallen victim to a fraud, authorities are investigating the allegations.
According to The Columbus Dispatch on Wednesday, her relatives informed detectives that she had been paying money to an anonymous person.
Sgt. Brandon McCroskey told the newspaper, "In that regard, people may view her as a 'victim.
"Unfortunately, Ann chose to victimize several other people in the bank by robbing it with a firearm as a remedy for her situation."
In the event that Mayers' family members are telling the truth, McCroskey described her circumstances as "very sad and unfortunate."
He claimed she had discussed robbing banks with family members in the days preceding the standoff, but they had dismissed her remarks.
For the past ten to fifteen years, scams targeting elders have increased in frequency, according to specialists.
These include the so-called "grandparent scams," in which callers identify themselves as anyone, from a police officer to the victim's grandson, and inform the victim that something horrible has occurred and that their younger relative is in need of money.