Suspected Gaylord bank robber faces life in prison

UPDATE 5/15/24 6:30 p.m.

GAYLORD — A man from Northern Michigan is facing life in prison for allegedly robbing a bank in Otsego County, on Tuesday.

Bobby Zollman was arraigned earlier Wednesday afternoon on charges of armed robbery and bank robbery.

According to the Gaylord Police Zollman, walked into the Huntington Bank in downtown Gaylord, handed the teller a note while indicating he had a gun, then took off with $2,700.

Zollman was later tracked down in Crawford County and arrested.

No one was injured and police did not find a weapon on Zollman.

5/14/24 8:00 p.m.

GAYLORD — A man is behind bars, facing armed robbery charges, after police say he robbed a bank in Otsego County Tuesday afternoon.

The alleged robbery happened at the Huntington Bank on E. Main Street in downtown Gaylord.

Gaylord Police Chief Frank Claeys said a 54-year-old northern Michigan man was arrested after taking off with nearly $3,000 in the middle of the day.

Claeys said it was teamwork that led to a quick arrest.

He said by the time they got there, the suspect was already gone.

“At about 11:45 a.m., our officers received a hold up alarm at Huntington Bank here on East Main Street, right at the corner of Main and Center. our officers responded moments later,” said Claeys.

Claeys said the man gave a bank teller a note-that inferred he had a gun.

After receiving $2,700, the suspect ran from the scene in a pickup truck.

“No weapon was seen. And at this time, no weapon has been recovered,” said Claeys.

The police chief said the robbery happened while customers were in the bank but no one was injured.

People at nearby businesses were told about what happened but they remained open.

However, Claeys said nearby schools did lock their doors as a precaution.

“We potentially had an armed subject in the community,” said Claeys.

Officers also learned of a possible location the man was heading to in Crawford County.

He was found and arrested with the help of other law enforcement.

“The Crawford County Sheriff’s deputies observed the vehicle, initiated a traffic stop, and the subject was apprehended on the roadside without incident,” said Claeys..

The suspect is currently being held at the Otsego County Jail.

Claeys said it was the cooperation of the law enforcement agencies that led to the man’s quick apprehension.

“Good communication, good sharing of information that usually, you know, leads to good results like we had today,” said Claeys.

The chief said it’s not everyday an armed robbery of a bank happens in Gaylord. He said it’s been at least a decade.

“Most individuals avoid that hardened target of, of a bank institution if they’re looking for what they perceive as easy money, it’s typically not at a bank, " said Claeys.

The police chief says the incident remains under investigation and the man is expected to be arraigned on May 15 on armed robbery charges.

5/14/24 2:30 p.m.

GAYLORD — Around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, the Gaylord Police Department responded to a bank robbery at Huntington Bank on East Main Street.

The initial call came into dispatch as a holdup alarm, police said.

Officers arrived on scene, confirmed the robbery and determined the suspect had left the scene, they said.

During the incident, the suspect presented the teller a note demanding money and inferred he had a gun, police said.

After receiving the money, the suspect fled the scene in a pickup truck, police said.

Officers gathered information on the suspect and learned of a possible location the suspect was heading to in Crawford County. Deputies from Crawford County then located the suspect en route to that location, officials said.

The suspect, a 54-year-old white male from Northern Michigan, was taken into custody without incident, officials said. No weapon was found on him, and officials said he stole $2,700 from one teller.

The Gaylord Police Department charged the suspect with bank Robbery and sent him to Otsego County Jail.

The Gaylord Police Department was assisted by the Otsego County Sheriff Department, Crawford County Sheriff Department and Michigan State Police.