Fired Key West Citizen Controller Arrested For Robbing Bank in Michigan
by Amber Nolan
A Key West man was arrested for allegedly robbing a bank in a small town in Michigan, less than three months after losing his job as a controller at the Key West Citizen – and being escorted by police out of the building.
Police say Paul Donnelly, 50, walked into the PNC Bank in Plainwell, Michigan around 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 14. He was sporting a “signature” Florida Keys look – a floppy fishing hat, khaki shorts, sunglasses, and sandals. According to WZZM13, Donnelly handed the bank teller a note that read “I have a bomb in bag, cash in bag now,” and pushed a black plastic bag at the teller.
After the teller gave him the cash, he left the green “bomb-filled backpack” behind. It was later determined the backpack was harmless (it was filled with clothes), but parts of downtown Plainwell, with a population of just 4,000 people, were completely shut down for almost three hours. The Michigan State Police bomb squad, officers from the Plainwell Department of Public Safety, the Allegan County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI all responded to the threat.
Police searched for Donnelly for about 14 hours (including the use of track dogs) and released photos from the bank surveillance footage. Investigators later found items of clothing that Donnelly had discarded along the Kalamazoo River. Donnelly’s family recognized him from the photos and immediately contacted authorities.
According to WoodTV 8, Donnelly’s family members claimed he was “very lost and very, very sick.”
Police say that Donnelly had walked nearly 8 miles and had a blood alcohol level of .24 – three times the requirement to be legally impaired. Donnelly allegedly stole more than $4,700 and spent nearly $300 of the loot on lottery tickets less than 30 minutes after the robbery.
Paul’s sister, Jackie Donnelly said that “he struggled with alcohol addiction his entire life, has been in and out of rehab a few times, but also had many, many great years where he was sober and he was very, very successful,” WoodTV 8 reported.
According to WoodTV 8, Donnelly was in Michigan to visit a cousin, and told his family that he didn’t have the money to pay for his health care. Donnelly suffered from a reoccurring brain tumor, and his family stated that they believed the robbery was a cry for help.
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Please remember all suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
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