A bank robber known to police for his unusual choice of facial wear has been taken into custody by authorities in Everett, Wash. Christian N. Franzwa, who is from Everett, was arrested on Friday morning, with authorities believing that he "may be identifiable as the bank robber who has allegedly committed at least seven bank robberies in Washington State," a man who had been nicknamed "Beardo," according to a statement by the Everett government.
Franzwa, 57, is known for wearing a Groucho Marx-style fake beard and nose to conceal his identity during the robberies, earning him the name "Beardo" from authorities, according to the Sky Valley Chronicle. He has been involved in a series of robberies from mid-2015 onwards, with FBI Seattle asking "Who is this Beardo?" in a tweet in November.
Authorities caught Franzwa on Friday morning and booked him for seven counts of robbery, according to CBS News. Franzwa had threatened bank employees with a gun or implied that he was in possession of a firearm when robbing the banks, according to Fox News. His crime spree had lasted more than six months, from a robbery at Columbia Bank on June 1 to Opus Bank on Dec. 23, as reported by the Everett government.
Franzwa was being monitored by police and suspected of planning to rob the Banner Bank on Fourth Avenue in Everett, an establishment that he had already targeted, as reported by the Everett authorities.
Police stated that Franzwa was wearing a version of his disguise at the time of his arrest but would not disclose how much money he had stolen, according to the Daily Mail. The FBI and police teamed up with the Seattle Safe Streets Task Force to gain information in order to reveal the true identity of "Beardo," according to KOMO News.
