WEBSTER, N.Y.—Federal and local authorities say the bank robber who fatally shot a man during a 2003 robbery of Xerox FCU here is likely living in western New York, possibly in the Buffalo and Niagara Falls area.
The FBI announced a $60,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, $50,000 coming from the FBI, the other $5,000 from El Segundo, Calif.-based Xceed Financial Credit Union, which has acquired Xerox FCU, and Xerox.
Authorities are not sharing details about a specific suspect, saying only that they are ramping up the investigation into the robbery-homicide. During the past 18 months, Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Gregory has worked with Webster police investigators and the FBI and made headway with the long-unsolved crime.
n 2003, an armed man entered Xerox FCU in Webster dressed as an FBI agent and demanded money. During the robbery, the suspect killed 51-year-old Xerox employee Raymond Batzel and shot another.
On Monday, authorities unveiled electronic billboards that will be displayed across western New York, highlighting photos from the Xerox robbery (see images). Those photos have been digitally enhanced by the FBI, and are also being circulated to area media.
The billboards will be displayed across Rochester and the Buffalo and Niagara areas, Adam Cohen, who heads the FBI offices in western New York, told the Democrat and Chronicle.
At a news conference Monday Webster Police Chief Joe Rieger "encouraged anyone with information (to) please come forward."
"You can remain anonymous," he said.