September 30, 2009 – A grand jury has charged Lance P. Dennie with seven counts of bank robbery – including robbery of the Chase branch at Marina City twice.

Dennie pled not guilty at his arraignment on Tuesday before Judge Valdez, where he was formally charged.

According to a document filed on September 23 in U.S. District Court, Dennie took about $6,938 from the Chase branch on December 5, 2008. On March 10, 2009, he allegedly took $4,388 from the same branch. It’s believed he did two bank robberies that day, getting $1,080 from MB Financial Bank at 6443 North Sheridan Road.

(Left) Surveillance photo from March 10 robbery of Chase branch at Marina City.

The other four counts include these robberies…

• Bank of America, 7900 South Halsted Street, on January 23, 2009, taking approximately $6,100.
• Chase, 850 South Wabash Avenue, on March 13, 2009, taking $4,000.
• Charter One Bank, 33 West Grand Avenue, on June 8, 2009, taking $10,585.
• Chicago Community Bank, 52 East Lake Street, on August 5, 2009, taking $5,379.

The last two robberies happened within a few blocks of Marina City. During the March 13 robbery, Dennie is also accused of forcing a bank employee to accompany him to avoid apprehension.

Not included in the indictment is a May 12 robbery of MB Financial Bank in the Unitrin Building, one block south of Marina City, and a robbery on January 23 – the same day as the Bank of America robbery – of North Community Bank Branch, 5342 North Broadway. The FBI had suspected those robberies to be the work of the Red Line Robber, who got the nickname because the robberies happened near stops on the CTA Red Line.

Dennie has been in federal custody since his arrest on August 29. He made a brief courtroom appearance on September 2. At a detention hearing and preliminary examination, Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez ordered Dennie entitled to a court-appointed attorney. Public defender Robert Seeder told the judge Dennie had decided not to contest detention.

His next court date is a status hearing on November 3.

(Above) Marina City branch of JPMorgan Chase & Co., from near State Street. East tower in background.

 Related story: Accused ‘Red Line Robber’ to remain in federal custody