US: ‘Bank robber stole to give money to homeless’

AN Australian man accused of stealing $140,000 (£90,142) from a US bank has claimed he was robbing the bank to help homeless people who had had their assets repossessed.
CCTV footage shows Corey Donaldson in a Jackson branch of US Bank while committing the robbery. Picture: APCCTV footage shows Corey Donaldson in a Jackson branch of US Bank while committing the robbery. Picture: AP
CCTV footage shows Corey Donaldson in a Jackson branch of US Bank while committing the robbery. Picture: AP

• Man accused of robbing US bank says he stole to give money to homeless

• Australian Corey Donaldson, 39, also accused over bomb threat

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Corey Donaldson appeared in court charged with the theft of US Bank in Jackson, Wyoming. He is also suspected of claiming explosives had been planted at the bank while carrying out the robbery.

The jury heard how Donaldson, 39, decided to raid the branch after being made homeless last year and meeting others whose homes had been seized by banks.

“I came up with the idea that since the banks had been bailed out, and the people had not, I was going to confiscate money from US Bank in Jackson and redistribute it to the poor and homeless in America and that’s what I did,” Donaldson told the court.

Donaldson, who has lived in the US for 20 years, allegedly demanded $2 million (£1.29 million) from bank manager Jared Thomas Williams.

Mr Williams told the court that Donaldson had warned him of bombs planted in the snow around the bank by Mexican Cartel members

After loading $140,000 in a duffel bag, Donaldson made his escape but was later snared by police in Utah as CCTV images from the bank identified the accused.

A friend of Donaldson’s, Kevin Day, said that the accused had revealed to him the location of $8,000 (£5,150) before he called police.

Authorities have recovered $30,000 (£19,309) after Donaldson’s arrest.

The trial continues.