By: ABQRAW staff
Posted: 7/13/2022 @ 2:45PM
Booking photo
Albuquerque –
On July 8th, 2022, at approximately 4:53 p.m., an unknown male entered US Bank, located at 3000 Central Ave. SE. The suspect presented a demand note to a teller. The robber received an undisclosed sum of money and left the bank on foot heading east.
According to a criminal complaint, later in the evening, an Albuquerque Police officer observed a drug deal going down near Indiana Blvd SE. The dealer was handing over a small baggie for cash. The officer observed burnt tin foil and a straw object sticking out of the pants pocket of one of the male subjects. The subject was identified as Andrew Mata. Another officer on scene recognized the suspect as the bank robber from US Bank and they found a stack of $2,000 on Mata. The cash was consistent with the amount of money stolen from the bank earlier.
Andrew Mata robbing US Bank.
The complaint goes on to say, Mata originally told officers he sold a car for $2000 and the money found on him was the money from the sale of the vehicle. Mata finally admitted to the bank robbery saying this was the best “victimless crime” robbing a bank. He said the note he gave read: “this is not a game, empty the front and reverse drawer, no tracker’s, no dye pack’s.” (SIC)
Read Mata’s Criminal Complaint here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/69054008
Mata will be charged federally for the bank robbery and could spend up to 15 years in federal prison. He was also charged with two state charges related to drug possession.