Published: November 06, 2009 02:50 am      

LYNDONVILLE: Niagara County man charged with robbing bank

LYNDONVILLE — Village residents couldn’t believe what they were hearing as they approached the M&T bank on the corner of Main Street and Maple Avenue in Lyndonville early Thursday afternoon: The bank had been robbed.

According to Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess, the robbery took place at about 12:15 p.m., when a male entered the bank, handed a teller a note demanding cash, and left the bank with an undisclosed amount of money.

The note indicated that he had an explosive device strapped to his body and he would detonate it if the teller did not comply, according to Hess.

An eyewitness said they saw the individual get into a Chevrolet pickup truck and drive away. The witness followed the truck and was able to provide a 911 dispatcher with a license plate number and directions as to where the vehicle was traveling.

While sheriff’s deputies were investigating the scene at the bank, New York State Police from the Albion barracks tracked the vehicle to a house on state Route 18 in the Town of Carlton, where a suspect was taken into custody without incident.

According to the sheriff’s office, Christopher Doulin, 22, of Appleton, Niagara County, was apprehended. The sheriff said Doulin had been staying with his girlfriend at the house.

Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at the property and recovered the stolen money, as well as clothing that the suspect was described to be wearing, the report said.

According to Hess, Doulin was never in possession of any explosive device.

Doulin has been charged with third-degree robbery, third-degree grand larceny and second-degree falsely reporting an incident.

He appeared Thursday evening in Yates Town Court before Justice Donald F. Grabowski and was sent to the Orleans County Jail in lieu of $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond.

There were several other people in the bank at the time of the robbery, including customers and bank employees, according to Undersheriff Steven Smith.

The bank remained closed the rest of the day while members of the county sheriff’s office, state police and bank officials investigated the scene.

Smith explained that members of the sheriff’s office would be conducting a forensic investigation, which includes interviewing witnesses, taking photographs of the scene, and more.

“This is the third robbery in the history of the bank,” said Lyndonville Mayor Marc Scarr. The last time a robbery of the M&T bank happened was more than 10 years ago, he explained.

“This is not something that happens every day in Lyndonville,” the mayor said.

The sheriff stated in a news release that although the Lyndonville Central School District is in close proximity to the bank, neither students nor faculty at the school were ever at any risk.

Contact editor Holly Toal at 798-1400, ext. 8225.