NEW BRITAIN, Conn.—The FBI has taken the lead in investigating the alleged home invasion/hostage-taking/robbery involving a credit union CFO here.
The FBI, along with the United States Attorneys Office, are now leading the probe of the Feb. 23 robbery attempt involving Matthew Yussman, CFO at Achieve Financial Credit Union, according to the New Britain Herald. There has been very little news since the days following that alleged robbery/abduction, other than some details revealed as part of search warrants that were later unsealed.
On the evening of Feb. 22, Yussman said he was confronted at his home by two robbers who held him and his mother hostage overnight, then attached what he was told was a bomb vest to his chest and told him to drive to the credit union and retrieve cash. There have been mixed reports on the amount of money Yussman alleges he was told to get, ranging as high as $4.2 million.
Although he said he was told not to contact anyone, Yussman called the credit union’s CEO on the way to get the money. The CEO contacted the police, and Yussman never got further than the credit union’s parking lot. He was uninjured, as was his mother, who said she had untied herself and left the house.
The New Britain Herald quoted local police as saying no one has been ruled out as a suspect, including Yussman. Yussman allegedly failed a polygraph test earlier this year, according to a search warrant.
The New Britain Herald reported that Yussman has been cooperating throughout the investigation and, despite recently hiring a lawyer, is still accommodating authorities’ requests to be interviewed.