Top 7 Nicknamed Bandits

Jan. 16, 2012— -- quicklist: 1category: Top 7 Nicknamed Banditstitle: The Dying Son Banditurl: text: The Dying Son Bandit is one of the newest nicknamed thieves on the loose. He has emerged in San Diego and Orange County in California, playing the pity card to wrangle money out of his victims. At each of his five robberies thus far, he claims he is committing the crimes because he needs the money to pay for his son's medical bills. But Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, doubts this excuse is real.

"The first robbery he said it was his daughter, and then the following ones he said it was his son," Amormino said. "It makes it hard to believe."

This bandit has been described as being in his 50s with rotting teeth. He usually escapes in a gold or beige SUV, according to the Orange County Sheriff's office.

"He was able to get away. He has been lucky," Amormino said. "Sooner or later the luck runs out."

Amormino said few people rob banks to pay for their day-to-day expenses. Most of them are involved in drugs or vice activity, he said.

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quicklist: 2category: Top 7 Nicknamed Banditstitle: The Church Lady Banditurl: text: The Church Lady Bandit shook up central Ohio, robbing 11 banks between 2006 and 2012. Sylvete Gilbert, 46, earned her nickname from a bank teller who told officials she was nicely dressed, carried a purse and even wore a proper hat, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said.

The Church Lady Bandit would typically hand the teller a note demanding money. O'Brien said she was so hard to catch because she wasn't the typical robber and would "disappear into the crowd."

"She was typically taking local buses," O'Brien said. "She would jump on a bus and be gone before anyone knew what was going on."

O'Brien said The Church Lady Bandit was convicted on 22 counts and could face a maximum penalty of 88 years in prison. She is due back in court Tuesday to receive her formal sentencing.

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quicklist: 3category: Top 7 Nicknamed Banditstitle: The Puffy Coat Banditurl: text: The Puffy Coat Bandit was wanted for seven different robberies that spanned three counties all in less than three weeks. As of Jan. 10, 2012, the FBI believed they had caught their man.

Steven Dwayne Paulson earned his nickname from the ski jacket he wore in his robbery Dec. 20, 2011. In other robberies, he was seen wearing the same jacket or a plaid coat, his head always covered with a baseball hat or beanie. His style was to hand the teller a note before revealing a weapon concealed under his puffy coat, according to the FBI website.

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said Paulson appeared in court Thursday and has been remanded to federal custody.

The nicknames might sound ridiculous, but they help brand and catch the perpetrators.

"It's a law enforcement tool to keep track of bank robbers," Eimiller said. "The byproduct of naming bank robbers is the media and public like it. It's intriguing and helps us in getting people to look at photos and inevitably leads to tips," she said.

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quicklist: 4category: Top 7 Nicknamed Banditstitle: The Geezer Banditurl: text: The Geezer Bandit is still at large in Southern California and is believed to be extremely violent. The man, who is described as being between 70 and 80 years old, has robbed at least 16 banks since 2009 in San Diego and Los Angeles counties, FBI special agent Darrell Foxworth told ABC News. But The Geezer Bandit might not be a geezer after all, according to FBI spokeswoman Eimiller, who said "his movements were far too agile."

The Geezer Bandit could be wearing a mask, according to Eimiller and Foxworth, adding that he acts like an elderly man, politely waiting in line before passing the teller a note and grabbing his gun.

"He has gone into the bank and pointed the weapon at the tellers and threatened to shoot them. He doesn't appear to have any hesitation at all pointing that weapon," Foxworth said. "We can't let his overall appearance deceive us."

The Geezer Bandit is considered armed and dangerous. The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for his capture.

"He is one of our most violent robbers," Eimiller said.

A Facebook page created for The Geezer Bandit has more than 12,000 friends.

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quicklist: 5category: Top 7 Nicknamed Banditstitle: The Handsome Banditurl: text: The Handsome Bandit charmed victims with his dapper dress as he robbed banks throughout North Texas. But like The Geezer Bandit, FBI officials said the appearance was actually a disguise.

The Handsome Bandit was "wearing a latex-type mask" when he robbed a bank in Richardson, Texas, according to an FBI statement. He pointed a handgun at the bank manager and demanded money from the vault. After he got the money, he forced all witnesses into the bathroom and demanded they count until 500 and not contact the police.

As he fled, he fired shots at police officers. After his escape, police scanned the area and found the attractive mask.

"While searching the surrounding area, officers located a mask, blue warm-up suit, handgun and plastic bags containing cash. Inside a pocket of the warm-up suit, officers found a key fob and matched it to a vehicle, registered to Milam, that was parked at the bank," the FBI said in a statement.

After a high-speed car chase in Jackson, Miss., Jan. 4, 2012, police arrested Steven Ray Milam, 44, as The Handsome Bandit.

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quicklist: 6category: Top 7 Nicknamed Banditstitle: The Barbie Banditsurl: text: The Barbie Bandits accidentally robbed the wrong Bank of America near Atlanta. Ashley Miller and Heather Johnson were supposed to have an inside man at the bank. But the duo, dressed in tight jeans and oversized sunglass, got lost and robbed the wrong branch.

"We took a wrong turn somewhere, ended up going to a complete different Bank of America," Johnson told ABC News' David Muir in 2007.

When they realized their mistake, the girls called the inside man and made their way to the right branch. The blonde bombshells took thousands of dollars and went straight to the salon. The girls, who worked as exotic dancers, were later caught and arrested.

Johnson, who was a college freshman and scholarship recipient, said she went down the wrong path.

"I went wild. I was on drugs most of the time," she told Muir in the 2007 interview. "I didn't care what anyone had to say. I was going to do it my way."

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quicklist: 7category: Top 7 Nicknamed Banditstitle: The Bare Foot Banditurl: text: The Bare Foot Bandit evaded the FBI for years before his capture in the Bahamas in July of 2010. His spree of stealing boats, handguns and planes spanned several states and even countries, including Canada and the Bahamas, according to an FBI statement. In his last crime, The Bare Foot Bandit stole a plane from Bloomington, Ind., and crash landed after it ran out of fuel in the Bahamas where he was finally arrested. Colton Harris-Moore admitted to the crimes.

The Bare Foot Bandit owed his victims at least $1,409,438, according to the FBI. As a part of his plea agreement, the debt will be paid off by any financial gains made from telling his story. He also surrendered the right to receive any personal gain from selling his celebrity.

"He was portrayed as a celebrity," Ayn Sandalo Dietrich spokesperson for the FBI Seattle division told ABC News. "Even his own nickname indicates the level of interest, but we are pleased that he took responsibility for his actions because his activities were anything but glamorous and had real victims."

Harris-Moore has not been sentenced federally, but received more than 7 years in state court, according to a spokesman from the U.S Attorney's office.

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