Galion men in court after arrest on bank robbery/hostage charges

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Two men arrested in Galion on Wednesday appeared in federal court Thursday morning.

Taylor Crisman, who is also known as Taylor Hoam, 18, 584 N. Union St., Galion, and Chris Hill, 23, also of Galion, were arrested during a traffic stop Wednesday afternoon in front of the Circle K in Galion by officials from the Cleveland branch of the FBI Cleveland Division of the FBI, Mansfield and Canton resident offices, along with officers from the Ontario Police Department and Richland County Sheriff’s Office. Both men were reportedly living in Galion at the time of their arrest although their addresses have not been released.

According to the FBI, the armed suspect, believed to be Crisman, entered a KeyBank employee’s home on Millsboro Road on Nov. 5 and held the worker and his family hostage through the night.

Special Agent Vicki D. Anderson of the Cleveland FBI said Crisman and Hill were under surveillance at the time of the stop.

According to an FBI affidavit supporting the arrest, Crisman drove away from the Ontario location with $194,845 on Nov. 6, but left his shoes behind.

In addition, the report indicates Crisman told another person about what he did, who in turn told police after Crisman did not give the witness money he originally offered.

Also, Crisman reportedly had a picture on his Facebook account which showed a drawing with the outfit he was accused of wearing during the incident.

Crisman made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Akron and was charged with bank robbery. He was placed in federal custody immediately after his arrest in Galion and is being held in Akron. A grand jury will review his case. Hill is currently being held on probable cause charges in the Richland County jail and was federally charged on Thursday, although no other information about his hearing was released.

Reports indicated the worker was forced to go to his bank, 688 N. Lexington-Springmill Road on Nov. 6, and took money from the bank before it opened. Crisman reportedly made off with $194,845 in cash that is possibly hidden in a friend’s basement.

According to reports, Crisman allegedly held the bank employee’s wife and small children hostage until the employee returned home with the money. The bank employee complied with the demand. The suspect then notified an accomplice, believed to be Hill, to pick him up from the residence.

A composite sketch of the unknown suspect was released to the public via the media on Nov. 23. Various tips were received. According to officials, based on the composite sketch being shown by various media outlets, on Nov. 28, a tip was provided indicating knowledge of the person that committed the KeyBank robbery. Investigators worked with the tipster to corroborate the information obtained over the next several days.

“The FBI commends the media and the public for helping to identify the individual who terrorized a KeyBank employee and his young family overnight,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Cleveland Division, Northern District of Ohio. “Crisman and Hill underestimated the collaborative efforts of law enforcement and the community.”

“The one thing that these violent criminals did not count on was the incredible work of the FBI, the Ontario Police Department and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office,” said Steven Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “Now they will pay the price at the bar of justice for that oversight.”

Evidence has been obtained at various locations where these two individuals have recently resided. Some items of evidence recovered include the fedora hat and bandana believed to be worn by Crisman during the time he held the family hostage in their home. Also, the .38 caliber handgun believed to be used by Crisman has been recovered.

According to the victim, he told the dispatcher in a 911 call that morning to Richland County Sheriff’s Office, that he took somewhere between $100,000 to $200,000.

The police stop caught the attention of those nearby.

“I was coming down the overpass and I seen three police cars surround a car,” said Rolana L. Smith of Lexington. “I went through the intersection and pulled over and rolled my windows down and turned off the radio and grabbed my phone. I could hear the officers yelling for people to get out of the car and they had their weapons drawn yelling at the driver to get out.

“I seen about three cops with their guns and surrounding the car from the back of the car and yelling to get out and this must have went on for a minute or so then the guy opened the driver door with his hands up and he put his hands behind his head and got on his knees.”

Galion Police Chief Brian Saterfield declined comment Wednesday, saying it wasn’t the city’s case.

Hill
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2015/12/web1_20151202_142505_resized1.jpgHill

Crisman
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2015/12/web1_20151202_142553_resized1.jpgCrisman

By Chris Pugh and Kimberly Gasuras

Galion Inquirer

 

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