How Robber Nicknames Helped Colorado Curb Bank Heists

Colorado had faced a spike in bank robberies over the last few years, outpacing the rest of the country per capita from 2021 to 2024, according to FBI data. The typical heist involved a masked robber handing a note to a teller and leaving with a small sum, but the offenders often stood out for their quirks—earning nicknames like the "Powder Puff Bandit," who used makeup to cover up his face tattoos, or the "Double Dipper Bandit," notorious for robbing the same bank more than once, per the New York Times. One suspect, meanwhile, was dubbed the "Penguin Bandit" for his distinctive waddle.

Authorities say the state's bank robbery surge had roots during the peak of COVID, when masks became a common sight in public, and during Colorado's worsening opioid crisis, which drove some to increasingly bold crimes. Experts note that some robbers seemed motivated as much by adrenaline as by the meager payouts. "Crimes that have a factor to them like a thrill or rush can cause a person to want to do it over and over again," George Mason University's Mary Ellen O'Toole, an ex-FBI profiler, tells the Times.

Faced with the uptick, Denver's FBI office shifted tactics, focusing on serial offenders and using memorable nicknames to drum up public tips. The suspects are "generally members of the community," Assistant US Attorney for Colorado Brian Dunn tells KDVR. "And while they often try to mask their identity, perhaps there's various characteristics that other members of the public recognize." The approach paid off. The Penguin Bandit, later identified as Samuel Ruthstrom, was arrested after the way he walked in parole office footage was matched with the gait of a suspect caught on bank surveillance video.

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There've been other high-profile arrests as well, including one perpetrator caught with cash and a fake gun after a teller slipped a tracker into the loot. Banks in Colorado have added new security measures, like buzz-in entry systems and armed guards, while prosecutors are moving more cases to federal court, where convictions can bring stiffer sentences. The strategy, which isn't a new one, appears to be working: By mid-2024, the wave had subsided, with only 16 cases reported so far this year—down sharply from a 2021 peak of 191.