A woman charged with allegedly attempting to rob a bank armed with a gun was a victim of an online scam, her family says.
On April 19 at 1:29pm, Fairfield Township Police were called to AurGroup Credit Union on 2085 Creekside Drive, Fairfield Township in Ohio.
Authorities were called to the scene by employees who reported a robbery had taken place - with a woman having come into the credit union where she 'demanded money while displaying a handgun', before leaving with 'about $500', FOX19 NOW reports.
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Fairfield Township Police officials later identified 74-year-old Ann Mayers as a suspect in the case and found her at her house in Hamilton 'along with the 2014 silver Hyundai Elantra she was driving during the robbery'.
"Detectives recovered evidence including a handgun from Mayers' car," Fairfield Township Police Department's news release on the incident posted to Facebook adds.
And FOX18 NOW reports Mayers confessed to the crime while in the back of a police vehicle.
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Mayers is reported as not having 'any known criminal history at this time'.
Authorities later learned a possible motive for Mayers' alleged armed robbery could've been that she reportedly fell victim to an online scam.
In an email to USA Today, Sergeant Brandon McCroskey said Mayers' relatives had told police she'd been sending money to an 'unidentified individual' and he believed that it could 'very well be the case'.
Sgt McCroskey told LOCAL 12 Mayers told him she'd 'stolen a candy bar once but other than that she's never stolen anything'.
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"Doesn't really know why she did it, just out of desperation," he added.
However, Sgt McCroskey noted despite the situation being 'very sad and unfortunate' Mayers 'took the time to plan this robbery as evidence shows she removed her license plate from her car and tried to remove a bumper sticker'.
He added: "She also reportedly spoke to family members about robbing banks in the days leading up to the robbery but the family did not take her comments seriously."
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Despite how Mayers may now be seen by some as a 'victim' herself, Sgt McCroskey resolved: "Unfortunately, Ann chose to victimize several other people in the bank by robbing it with a firearm as a remedy for her situation."
Mayers has since been charged with 'aggravated robbery with a firearm - a felony of the first degree - and tampering with evidence - a felony of the third degree'.
As per the release issued on April 19, Mayers is being held at Butler County Jail while she awaits her court appearance.
UNILAD has contacted Fairfield Township Police Department and AurGroup for comment.
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If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, you can contact Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111, start a live chat, or visit the website, all of which are available 24 hours seven days a week.
Poppy Bilderbeck