Charges say a Woodbury man admitted to police Monday that he recently robbed two banks in Woodbury and one in Oakdale just up the road from his workplace, telling officers he committed the heists because of mounting bills.
Zahir Mohamednazir Bachelani pulled off the robberies on three days between June 14 and Saturday — making away with just over $5,000 — before being tracked down and arrested Monday while leaving work, according to police and charges against the 38-year-old. He made a first appearance on the charges Wednesday and remained jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail, or $75,000 with conditions.
Bank surveillance video shows a person suspected of robbing two banks in Woodbury and one in Oakdale between June 14 and Aug. 3, 2024. (Courtesy of Woodbury Police Department)
Woodbury police on Monday afternoon posted on Facebook four photos from bank surveillance video and “almost immediately” received calls to its tip line identifying Bachelani as the suspect, Cmdr. Tom Ehrenberg said Wednesday.
According to Tuesday’s criminal complaint:
Woodbury police responded to Huntington Bank at 7377 Currell Blvd. about 4:30 p.m. June 14 on a report of a bank robbery in progress. A man — wearing a dark red shoulder-length wig, long black and purple dress, medical facemask, medical gloves and knee-high black boots — passed a note to a teller that read: “This is a robbery. You are going to take all of the $100 bills from your drawer and place them in an envelope. My partner is waiting outside. Once I leave, my partner will leave. Do as I say and no one will get hurt.” He made off with $700.
About two weeks later, on June 29, Oakdale police responded to U.S. Bank at 7620 10th St. N. around 11:15 a.m. for a hold-up alarm. A man wearing a medical facemask and medical gloves gave a note to a teller that read: “This is a robbery. My partner is waiting outside. Take $4,000 out of your drawer and place it in an envelope. Once I leave my partner will leave. Shake your head if you understand and no one will get hurt.” He was given $4,000 and left in a silver Hyundai Sonata.
Woodbury police were called to Wells Fargo at 7525 Currell Blvd., just west of Huntington Bank, about 9:30 a.m. Saturday. A man wearing a medical facemask and medical gloves handed over a note that read: “[T]his is a robbery. Place $6,000 in an envelope. I am armed with a gun. Do not speak. Do not say anything to anyone.” He made off with $370.
After the tip-line calls, police discovered Bachelani owned a 2015 silver Hyundai Sonata and that he worked at a medical clinic just up Helmo Avenue from the U.S. Bank. Officers saw him leaving work around 5 p.m. and arrested him. He was wearing blue Under Armour shoes that matched those the robber wore during Monday’s robbery.
A search of his home turned up a dark red wig and clothing also seen in bank video, including the black and purple dress, according to police.
Zahir Mohamednazir Bachelani (Courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office)
Bachelani told police in an interview he carried out the robberies due to financial troubles from medical bills, the complaint says.
A search of Minnesota court records shows Bachelani does not have a criminal history. Civil filings, however, show he was ordered in housing court to pay an Eden Prairie apartment building owner nearly $5,400 in missed rent payments in July 2023 and a Woodbury apartment building owner more than $3,700 on June 11, three days before the first robbery.
Bachelani faces second-degree aggravated robbery and two counts of simple robbery. He’s scheduled to be back in Washington County District Court on Aug. 29.
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