A 35-year-old Rockford man accused of robbing a Beloit bank last October apparently squandered the ill-gotten gains on slot machines and lottery tickets.
On Monday, Mario L. Johnson Manns made his initial appearance before Rock County Judge Karl Hanson on charges of robbery of a financial institution and carrying a concealed weapon. Cash bond was set at $10,000.
According to the criminal complaint, a suspect wearing a rubber “old man” mask entered First Mid Bank on Cranston Road shortly before 5 p.m. on Oct. 30, walked up to a teller and demanded cash.
After making off with more than $12,000, the suspect ditched the mask and some of his clothes in the woods and disappeared.
Beloit police were able to collect DNA from the mask and link it to Johnson Manns through a national database.
After at first denying that he was involved, Johnson Manns eventually admitted to the robbery, claiming that he had fallen on hard times and couldn’t find a job.
He said he bought food for his kids but because he has a gambling problem, he spent the rest on lottery tickets and slots.
