Contact: Sgt. Joy Matthews - 616.632.6106
Email: joy.matthews@kentcountymi.gov 
Supervisor Approval: Sgt. Ryan Thome
Case Number: 19-130224
Incident Type: Credit Union Robbery

BYRON TOWNSHIP, Mich (Oct. 9, 2020) - On 06/11/2019 at 3:08 PM, deputies from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a bank alarm at the Lake Michigan Credit Union (LMCU) located at 675 68th St. SW in Byron Township. Deputies met with LMCU employees who reported that they had just been robbed.

Preliminary information indicated that a male suspect entered LMCU with his face covered by sunglasses and a bandana. He was carrying a backpack and demanded that employees give him money after telling them that it was a “hold up.” The suspect then fled the area.

Investigators from the KCSO learned of a prior robbery on 02/14/2019 at the Lake Michigan Credit Union located at 2636 44th St. SW in the City of Wyoming. KCSO investigators contacted Wyoming Department of Public Safety investigators and determined that both robberies were likely committed by the same suspect. Additionally, on 11/26/2019, KCSO investigators were made aware of another bank robbery at the Chemical Bank in Middleville, MI. Contact was made with Barry County Sheriff’s Office and FBI investigators and case facts were shared, which lead to the determination that the same suspect was likely responsible for the two prior robberies at the LMCU branches.

The suspect was identified as Gilbert Chrispin Noel Jr. (56) of Wayland, MI. Noel was charged by the United States Attorney’s Office for two counts of credit union robbery and one count of bank robbery. He was sentenced on October 5, 2020 to 36 months in federal prison.

We are incredibly proud of the hard work completed by our investigators and the successful collaboration between multiple law enforcement agencies.

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