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Bank robbery suspect ordered held on $100,000 cash bond
A 43-year-old Poland man suspected of the March 26 robbery of a Cloverdale bank appeared in court Wednesday wearing a back brace over his orange Putnam County Jail jumpsuit and shackles. But it's far from the only hindrance he's facing.
Appearing before Judge Denny Bridges in Putnam Superior Court, Thomas A. Baker was formally charged with three felonies and ordered held on $100,000 cash-only bond.
Making an initial court appearance following his arrest last Thursday -- less than eight hours after allegedly robbing Our Community Bank at Cloverdale -- Baker was charged Wednesday afternoon with:
-- Armed robbery, a Level 3 felony punishable by from three to 16 years in prison.
-- Theft, a Level 6 felony punishable by 6-30 months in jail.
-- Intimidation, also a Level 6 felony punishable by from 6-30 months in jail.
In addition, the prosecution has filed habitual criminal offender status against Baker due to his accumulation of two prior unrelated felony convictions (obtaining controlled substances by fraud out of Delaware County and forgery in a Wayne County case). The habitual offender designation could enhance the Level 3 felony to 6-20 years and the Level 6 county to 2-6 years.
In court Wednesday, Baker also admitted he is wanted in Hendricks and Clay counties for attempting to obtain legend drugs via fraud.
Restricted by his back brace, Baker moved gingerly during his first court appearance in the aftermath of an accident that ended a police pursuit and led to his arrest.
The armed robbery suspect was apprehended last Thursday night after a pursuit in Muncie. That chase ended when Baker crashed his 1996 Saturn.
He had to be extricated from the wreckage and was taken to Ball Memorial Hospital at Muncie before being incarcerated in the Delaware County Jail and then brought back to Putnam County to face charges.
Delaware County, however, is not pressing charges in the case, Prosecutor Timothy Bookwalter confirmed in court.
Baker was taken into custody on a warrant out of Randolph County for forgery, a Class C felony, and a warrant out of Hendricks County for two counts obtaining a legend drug by fraud and theft.
Indiana Department of Correction records show a history of incarcerations for Baker in several counties, including Putnam, for charges including counterfeiting, forged prescription, theft and various types of fraud.
The latest reported incident unfolded about 1:30 p.m. March 26 when Our Community Bank, 102 S. Main St., Cloverdale, was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash.
Bank officials identified Baker as the robber, noting he had been in the bank four or five times in recent months and had even been involved in a confrontation over trying to access money from his mother's count on a previous visit.
He reportedly showed tellers a black automatic handgun tucked in the waistband of his pants and told them not to follow him or he would shoot them. He then fled the scene in a silver 1996 Saturn seen on the bank's security video.
Baker managed to make his way to Muncie, reportedly via back roads. But a tip from the public informed FBI agent Jake Overton that the suspect had been observed at the Muncie Days Inn motel after seeing his picture on a newscast. When police went to check the parking lot at the hotel, Baker fled in the Saturn at a high rate of speed, missing the turn at a T-intersection and crashing into an embankment.
During a subsequent police interview, Baker said during the pursuit he knew he wouldn't be able to escape authorities and in an admitted effort to kill himself, unbuckled his seatbelt before crashing the car.
Police recovered a gun and $800 in cash from the car. Baker's wife, Angela, was located at the laundry area of the motel with approximately $2,400 in her purse, which she surrendered to police. Authorities do not believe she was connected with the robbery. She was released without charges.
In an interview with State Police investigators at the Pendleton Post, Baker admitted robbing the Cloverdale bank and stressed that his wife had no knowledge of his actions. Part of his motivation, he said, was that he was about to be evicted from his apartment.
Judge Bridges entered preliminary not-guilty pleas to all charges for Baker and named Jeff Boggess as his court-appointed attorney. A pretrial conference in the case was set for 11 a.m. May 27.