Shady Bandit’s Boyfriend ‘Didn’t Know She Was Robbing Banks': FBI

It was a sharp-eyed Chicago police sergeant who noticed that a woman who just been arrested on an outstanding probation violation warrant matched surveillance photos of an alleged black female robber wanted for robbing several banks in Chicago.

FBI agents arrested Irene Carrerra, 51, of the 8200 block of South Ingleside Avenue in Chicago, on April 1. Carrera was charged with one felony count of bank robbery in federal court, although the FBI believes she may be tied to three other bank robberies in Chicago.

Nicknamed the “Shady Bandit” for her penchant for wearing dark sunglasses, Carrera was charged for a heist that occurred at the TCF branch located at 4355 North Sheridan Road in Chicago on Feb. 11.

The criminal complaint also noted three other TCF bank robberies in Jewel Food Stores that occurred on May 21 and Nov. 20, 2013, at 3531 North Broadway; and on March 14, at 5516 N. Clark St.

Bank surveillance video from the robberies showed a black woman wearing dark sunglasses, hence the moniker “Shady Bandit.”

Bank employees in the various robberies also described the alleged bandit to be in her 40s to 50s, five-foot-two to five-feet-six, with a slim build. The complaint also noted the bandit’s “distinctive purse.”

In one of the heists, a bank teller said he recognized Carrera from images he saw on the FBI’s BanditTrackerChicago website from previous robberies committed in the area, the complaint said.

According to the FBI, while the “Shady Bandit” did not display a weapon, her M.O. was to slip a note to tellers instructing them to turn over “big bills,” and “NO BAIT,” referring to the red dye packs on stacks of bills that explode upon impact.

Her scores from the TCF bank robberies ranged from $455 to $2,800, the complaint notes.

On the afternoon of April 1, a sergeant from the 3rd Chicago Police District called the FBI to report that a black female named Irene Carrera had been arrested on a probation violation warrant. The police sergeant believed Carrera matched the surveillance photos of the alleged Shady Bandit.

That same afternoon the FBI interviewed Carrera’s boyfriend, who told agents that Carrera has a drug problem and receives monthly disability checks.

According to the criminal complaint, while viewing a surveillance photo taken during the TCF robbery on Feb. 11, he identified the woman in the photo as Carrera, He indicated that a hat she was wearing said “Juicy.”

The boyfriend also claimed that Carrera has a problem “stealing things” but had no idea she was robbing banks.

“Individual A [the boyfriend] stated that Carrera had what he described as extra money during the past several months. Individual A said that when he asked Carrera about this fact, Carrera told him not to ask about it,” the complaint alleged.

During a search of Carrera’s apartment, special agents said they found clothing similar that worn in surveillance photos or described by various bank employees. The FBI also recovered a pair of sunglasses resembling those allegedly worn during the robberies.

The FBI said that at the time of Carrera’s arrest by Chicago Police on a warrant for probation violation, she had a “distinctive purse,” which appeared identical to the one in the surveillance photos.

If convicted of the charge against her, Carrera faces a sentence of up to 20 years.