PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. — New details were released after a 33-year-old man was arrested in connection with the robbery of a TD Bank branch in Pembroke Pines on Wednesday.
Authorities confirmed that Michael Michael Paul is now facing federal charges as a result of the crime.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Local 10 News on Thursday, Paul entered the bank at about 9:50 a.m. Wednesday and stopped at a counter in the lobby before approaching a teller.
Investigators said he handed the teller a deposit slip with the handwritten words “1’s, 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s” and stated, “I need money.”
The teller initially believed Paul was requesting a withdrawal and that the note referred to denominations. The teller then asked Paul for a debit card, identification or a phone number associated with the account, police said.
Authorities said Paul refused all three requests and told the teller, “This is a robbery.”
The teller told investigators he feared for his life, activated a silent alarm and waited for officers to arrive. Police said the demand note was left at the scene and an audit later determined that $625 was taken.
Officers began tracking Paul, which led them to the area of the 7800 block of Pines Boulevard. Police said Paul immediately laid on the ground and surrendered before being taken into custody.
They said Paul was wearing the same clothing seen on surveillance video from the TD Bank at the time of the robbery. The full $625 was recovered.
During questioning, police said Paul initially denied visiting a bank.
When detectives showed him a photograph of himself, he allegedly claimed it was “Muhammad Ali,” according to the report.
The report stated that Paul later told FBI agents he needed the money for a “project” and to pay off a debt to ITT Technical Institute.
Jail records show Paul has a history of arrests in Florida dating back to 2016, including misdemeanor and felony charges, municipal ordinance violations and cases handled through Mental Health Court. All of those cases are now closed.
As of Thursday, he was being held without bond at the Broward Main Jail on a U.S. Marshals hold.
FBI agents are also seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect who robbed a bank in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday.
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