Longmont police and FBI agents have arrested an Academy Bank employee found duct-taped in a bank vault Friday morning, saying the robbery was staged.
Lizardo “Alan” Monje, 22, the bank employee, and his alleged accomplice, Frank David Gutierrez, 22, are being held for investigation of aggravated robbery and conspiracy to steal more than $20,000.
Monje also is being held for investigation of false reporting.
About 9:07 a.m. Friday, an employee of the bank inside a Walmart at 2514 Main St. in Longmont reported finding her co-worker, Monje, bound with duct tape in the bank vault.
Monje told police an Asian or Hispanic man with a chubby face, wearing a dark-colored hooded Army jacket with a fur collar, robbed him at knifepoint, bound him with duct tape and left him in the vault.
He told authorities the suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of money.
Authorities confirmed the description of the suspect through Walmart security video and released the images to the media.
But they found other aspects of Monje’s story to be fishy.
Longmont police and FBI agents interviewed witnesses and found evidence of the true nature of the crime. They arrested Monje and obtained a search warrant for his house.
At 12:25 a.m. Saturday, authorities served the search warrant on the house at 504 Seventh St. in Greeley and recovered the money from the bank vault and other evidence.
Longmont police continue to investigate the case.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
