‘I need money.’ New details, charges for man accused of robbing Pembroke Pines bank
New details have been released on the robbery of a Pembroke Pines bank that landed a Pompano Beach man in jail Wednesday, Jan. 21, federal court records show.
Authorities arrested Michael Michael Paul, 33, less than a half mile from the TD Bank he allegedly stole from, Pembroke Pines police confirmed in a Jan. 21 statement.
Just before 10 a.m., Paul entered the bank at 7999 Pines Blvd. in a gray sweatsuit and approached a teller with a deposit slip that had “1’s, 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s” written on it and said “I need money,” according to the criminal complaint.
Thinking the note referred to denominations for a withdrawal, the teller asked Paul for a debit card, ID or phone number, to which the 33-year-old said, “This is a robbery.”
The teller — who told investigators he feared for his life and the safety of those around him — handed Paul “bait money” totaling $625 and a tracker tucked into a white and green TD Bank envelope. The demand note was left at the scene, the complaint details.
When the alleged thief left with the cash, investigators said the teller activated a silent alarm to notify police, who followed “tracking updates” from the bait money and were led to the 7800 block of Pines Boulevard.
Officers drove toward Paul when they spotted him and found him already laying face down on the ground in a surrendered position before making contact with him. They arrested him shortly after and found the envelope containing the money and tracker.
When FBI officials — who took over the investigation as the lead agency for bank robberies — questioned Paul, he told authorities he didn’t visit the bank and gave the name “Muhammad Ali” when shown security footage of himself in the bank, the complaint says.
He eventually identified himself to agents and explained he needed money for a “project,” according to court records, also saying he had a debt he owed to “ITT Tech.”
Jail records show Paul being held at Broward’s Main Jail on a U.S. Marshal’s Hold with no bond. He also was arrested in 2019 for trying to steal a bike from a Fort Lauderdale Target, according to county records.
