Milwaukee Man Charged with Robbery at Wauwatosa PNC Bank

Ryan Ashford, 33, from Milwaukee, has been charged with robbing a PNC Bank in Wauwatosa on August 15, according to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.

Police responded to the bank at 124th and North around 1 p.m. after reports of a robbery. A masked Ashford entered the bank, announced, "I'm robbing the place," and ordered employees and customers to the floor before lining them against the wall.

He handed a teller a handwritten note demanding $400,000 in $100 and $50 bills, but grew impatient and demanded, "Give me everything you have," as the teller stacked cash. Ashford fled with $1,106 in a black duffel bag.

Surveillance video showed Ashford arriving in a gray 2024 Mazda CX-5, which was rented by him through the Turo app. Police arrested Ashford at a Milwaukee home on August 18, where they found robbery notes, a "Mission Checklist" for a Chicago bank robbery, and other items related to the crime.

When confronted, Ashford confessed to the robbery, admitting he carried a taser and planned the heist after weeks of research. He initially intended to rob a bank near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport but chose Wauwatosa expecting slower police response.

He told investigators he aimed to steal $40,000 to pay debts and flee to Colombia, citing its lack of extradition laws. Ashford faces a felony charge punishable by up to 40 years and a $100,000 fine if convicted.