November 20, 2007

Ralph S. Boelter, Special Agent in Charge of the Minneapolis FBI office, today, announced the arrest of Jeffrey David Furtney, age 35, of Rochester, Minnesota. On Friday, November 16, 2007, at approximately 4:30 pm, FBI agents arrested Furtney at the LaQuinta Inn located at 1625 South Broadway, Rochester, Minnesota. The arrest was without incident.

On Friday, November 16, 2007, a federal criminal complaint was filed in United States District Court, District of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, charging Jeffrey David Furtney with bank robbery for the alleged October 23, 2007, robbery of the Bank of America located in Scottsdale, Arizona.

On Tuesday, November 20, 2007, a federal criminal complaint was filed in United States District Court, District of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, charging Jeffrey David Furtney with bank robbery for the alleged October 15, 2007, robbery of the Guaranty Bank located in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. In addition to the allegations that Furtney robbed the Guaranty Bank, the complaint further alleges that a TCF victim teller was shown a photographic line-up containing a photograph of Furtney and positively identified Furtney as the person who robbed the TCF Bank in West St. Paul on November 13, 2007. Furtney has not been charged with regard to the November 13, 2007 robbery of the TCF Bank located in West St. Paul, Minnesota.

Regarding the Arizona charge, Furtney made his Initial Appearance in a Minneapolis federal court on Monday, October 19, 2007, and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings. Regarding the Minnesota charge, Furtney will make his Initial Appearance in federal court on Wednesday, November 21, 2007.

This investigation was a joint effort by the Inver Grove Heights Police Department, West St. Paul Police Department, Scottsdale Police Department and the FBI. The United States Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota is prosecuting this case.

The charges in a federal criminal complaint are merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.