Green Bay man charged with bank robbery told police he 'tried to get caught' for medical care

Kelli Arseneau, Appleton Post-Crescent
·2 min read
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GREEN BAY – A 61-year-old Green Bay man said he robbed a BMO Harris Bank on Wednesday in order to get medical care while in custody.

Mark Steven Vogel is charged with robbery of a financial institution, a Class C felony. He made his initial court appearance Friday afternoon.

Police were called to the bank, located at 201 S. Military Ave. in Green Bay, around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday after a cash register alarm went off. Shortly after arrival, police found Vogel nearby with $1,761, according to a criminal complaint.

Vogel told police he robbed the bank and "tried to get caught," because he does not have health insurance and deals with multiple health issues, according to the complaint.

Vogel also told officers he waited for customers to leave "because he did not want to scare anyone." He additionally said he avoided going to an older bank teller to avoid frightening them, and instead went to a younger teller. After the teller gave him the money, Vogel said he apologized if he had scared him, according to the complaint.

Police did not find a weapon on Vogel when he was arrested. The bank teller said he believed Vogel motioned toward his waistband, as if he had a gun, but Vogel denied doing this and said he carried no weapons when he robbed the bank.

While demanding money, Vogel asked if the bank was insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the teller told police.

Vogel indicated to police that he was desperate for health care and "wanted to apologize to the Green Bay Police Department, the community, and anyone who was affected," the complaint said.

If convicted, Vogel may face up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.

RELATED:Police arrest Green Bay man following robbery at BMO Harris Bank

Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ArseneauKelli.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Green Bay man says he robbed bank to get caught, receive medical care