June 17, 2004
Section: Local;State
Page: 1B

Man charged in St. Martin robbery

Kelly Scott
Staff
St. Cloud Times Metro

MINNEAPOLIS - A federal grand jury indicted a 24-year-old man on Wednesday, charging him with robbing St. Martin’s only bank.

Adam John Fuchs, formerly of Paynesville, was charged with one count of bank robbery. If convicted, the maximum sentence is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal judge would determine the actual sentence based on guidelines if he is convicted.

In court records, Fuchs was accused of taking $3,631 on May 21 from the St. Martin National Bank. He was arrested May 23 at a St. Cloud motel after his mother and a Benton County corrections officer recognized him from a bank security tape photo published in the St. Cloud Times. Fuchs had been in the Benton County Jail until the day before the robbery.

Court records accused Fuchs of entering the bank about 2:35 p.m. May 21 and telling a teller, “Give me all the money.” Fuchs then lifted his sweatshirt, revealing a gun handle sticking out of the waist of his pants, court records said.

He asked for money from other tellers’ drawers and the bank vault, but a teller told Fuchs she didn’t have access to those areas, court records said. Fuchs then left the bank and escaped in a stolen car.

After the tips, investigators found Fuchs at a St. Cloud motel and arrested him. They also found two duffel bags, one of which contained $1,860 in cash.