Ryan Ashford
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - A Milwaukee man has been criminally charged in connection to a bank robbery that happened in Wauwatosa on Saturday, Aug. 15.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office charged 33-year-old Ryan Ashford with one count of robbery of a financial institution.
Bank robbery
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, Wauwatosa police responded to the PNC Bank at 124th and North for a report of a robbery around 1 p.m.
Responding officers spoke with a bank employee who stated she was working when a masked man entered and announced, "I'm robbing the place." The suspect ordered occupants to the floor before lining them up against the wall and demanding cash from a teller.
While the suspect was distracted, the employee successfully activated an alarm.
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Per the complaint, a PNC Bank teller reported that the suspect handed her a note written in blue ink. The message demanded that she withdraw $400,000. As the teller began stacking the cash, the suspect, identified as Ryan Ashford, allegedly grew impatient, walked behind the counter and said, "Give me everything you have."
Prosecutors say he stuffed the money into a black duffel bag and left the scene. He was able to make off with $1,106 in cash from PNC Bank.
Man arrested
What we know:
Court filings say surveillance footage showed Ashford arriving right before the robbery in a gray 2024 Mazda CX-5. He was dressed in all black with a mask, and the vehicle's license plate was clearly visible.
According to the complaint, a citizen witness came forward to report that the Mazda used in the crime belonged to her. She told investigators she had rented the car to Ashford through the Turo app.
Investigators tracked down Ashford's address, executing a search warrant on Aug. 18. Ashford was found at the home and arrested by police. While executing the search warrant, police recovered several items, including three handwritten drafts of bank robbery notes in blue ink, court fillings say.
According to the complaint, the notes demanded the withdrawal of 400 "franklins/$100 bills", warning staff to follow instructions for their own safety. Alongside the notes, police found a handwritten "Mission Checklist" outlining steps for a Chicago bank robbery, according to the complaint.
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Additional items recovered during the search included black shoes, a black mask, a black duffel bag, red gloves, a torn $100 currency band, and multiple credit and debit cards bearing Ashford's name.
Wauwatosa bank robbery, suspect arrested in Milwaukee
A Milwaukee man was arrested in connection to a bank robbery that happened in Wauwatosa back on Saturday, Aug. 15.
Ashford's confession
What we know:
According to the complaint, when confronted with the evidence, Ashford confessed to the Aug. 15 robbery at the PNC Bank in Wauwatosa, admitting he carried a taser during the crime and authored the recovered robbery notes and plans.
Per the complaint, Ashford stated he spent weeks researching bank robberies and originally planned to target a location near O'Hare Airport in Chicago, but backed out, choosing Wauwatosa instead under the assumption that local law enforcement response times would be slower.
Ashford stated that his goal was to steal $40,000 to cover his debts before fleeing the country. He told investigators he planned to escape to Colombia due to its lack of extradition laws.
The Source: Information in this post is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court Access.