A 73-year-old man who robbed a bank in Chicago over the weekend told investigators he committed the crime because he wanted to spend his final years in prison, according to a federal complaint.
Walter Unbehaun, of Rock Hill, South Carolina, walked into a Harris Bank in Niles on Saturday, leaned on a cane, and told a teller he had six months to live and nothing to lose, the complaint said. He also lifted his coat to reveal a silver revolver in his waistband.
Unbehaun left with $4,178 (£2,668) and made no effort to disguise himself, allowing police to identify him from surveillance images. He was arrested on Sunday outside a motel room and immediately surrendered, saying he knew officers were there because of the robbery.
According to the complaint, Unbehaun told FBI agents that he had spent most of his adult life in prison and felt more comfortable there than outside. He said robbing a bank with a loaded gun would guarantee he would spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Unbehaun's most recent release from prison was in 2011, after serving a 10-year sentence for a 1998 bank robbery. His criminal record in Illinois includes multiple other felonies dating back decades.
He appeared in court on Monday and was ordered to remain in jail pending further proceedings. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
