Spring Lake Park Man Indicted for Bank Robbery

A 24-year-old Spring Lake Park man was indicted yesterday in federal court in connection with the Aug. 28, 2007, robbery of the Wells Fargo Bank in Coon Rapids.

Cory Lee Wong was charged July 14 in Minneapolis with one count of bank robbery. Wong’s indictment alleges that on Aug. 28 he did by force, violence and intimidation take approximately $2,181 from the Wells Fargo Bank, located in Coon Rapids.

According to a Federal Bureau of Investigation affidavit, the robber entered the bank, 100 Coon Rapids Blvd., at approximately 10:15 a.m., approached a teller and handed her a typewritten note that stated: “Don’t say a word! This is a robbery. Keep your hands where I can see them and stay calm! Don’t do anything stupid that would get you hurt!"

The note also provided directions for the teller to empty all the drawers and put the cash in the bag. The teller complied, grabbed the cash and handed it to the robber. The robber grabbed the cash, placed it inside a black drawstring bag, walked out of the bank and fled on foot.

Law enforcement received numerous tips from concerned citizens, and on May 13, one woman told police that her boyfriend received a phone call from his friend, Wong, in the late summer or early fall of 2007 requesting a ride. The affidavit stated that Wong told his friend that he had just robbed the Coon Rapids bank, and was hiding from police in a ditch near the bank. Wong asked his friend to pick him up and drive him to safety.

The friend agreed, and picked Wong up. Inside the vehicle, Wong allegedly showed his friend the cash and gave him $100 for the assistance. Wong also disclosed the details of the robbery, the affidavit states.

The FBI and the Eden Prairie Police Department arrested Wong on May 30, at a Eden Prairie residence.

If convicted, Wong faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. All sentences are determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Coon Rapids Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erika R. Mozangue.