Woman Accused of Robbing Two Hudson Valley Banks

A three-state investigation led to a couple's arrest for allegedly robbing a Hudson Valley bank in a stolen car. One suspect is accused of robbing two banks.

On Saturday November 18, around 9:50 a.m., Monticello Village Police responded to a report of a robbery in progress at Jeff Bank on Forestburgh Road.

Officers arrived at the scene and determined that a woman entered the bank and stole cash after handing a note to a teller demanding money. The suspect fled the bank on foot.

Surveillance video led police to allege the suspect was 32-year-old Erin Keppel.

On Friday around 11:10 a.m., Port Jervis City Police responded to a report of a robbery in progress at TD Bank on East Main Street.

Officers were told that a woman stole cash after handing a note to a teller demanding money. The woman then fled the scene in a Nissan Frontier Pick-up truck driven by a man.

The vehicle was later determined to be stolen from Hope, N.J., and later recovered in Virginia. Police again identified the female suspect as Keppel through bank surveillance video, officials say.

A team of investigators successfully found suspects in Stafford County, Virginia where the suspects abandoned the stolen vehicle used in the Port Jervis robbery, police say. The pair were arrested by Virginia police at a bus station.

Keppel was charged with two-counts of robbery, grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, all felonies. The male driver, 32-year-old Steven Steele was charged with robbery and criminal possession of stolen property, also all felonies.

The arrests are the result of a multi-agency investigation conducted by a team of investigators from the Port Jervis Police Department, Monticello Police Department, New York State Police, New York City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, Town of Deerpark Police, Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Stafford County Virginia Police Department and the Fredericksburg Virginia Police Department.

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