IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — A man who allegedly robbed one credit union in order to use the money to pay off a bill at another credit union is blaming the whole thing on alternate personality.
Travis Lofthouse, 22, was arrested after he allegedly sought to rob a branch of Connections Credit Union, the East Idaho News reported. He had been charged with one count of felony robbery and one count of felony use of a hoax destructive device.
According to court documents, Lofthouse entered the credit union around 9:30 a.m. carrying a backpack and told the branch supervisor the bag contained a bomb, the East Idaho News reported.
Lofthouse then allegedly handed a sack to the supervisor and told her to fill it, according to documents. The CU employee placed around $24,000 in the sack and gave it back to him, police said.
Lofthouse allegedly said he had a police scanner and a remote detonator and would detonate the bomb if she called police before 9:45 a.m., according to court documents cited by the East Idaho News.
The supervisor told investigators she “was petrified,” the publication reported.
Bomb Squad Called
Lofthouse allegedly then left the credit union, leaving behind the backpack with a bomb supposedly inside, according to the East Idaho News. That led to a call to the Idaho Falls Police and bomb squad; an X-ray of the bag and determined it didn’t contain a bomb, but instead a mannequin head.
After surveillance photos of Lofthouse were sent out to the public, ISU Credit Union called the IFPD to report a member who resembled the person in the photos, the East Idaho News said. ISU CU said the member had just come into a branch a paid a large amount of money towards a bill. The teller noted he had a large stack of $100 bills, the report stated.
ISU Credit Union identified the person as Lofthouse. Investigators reviewed the security camera footage from ISU Credit Union and ran a records check on Lofthouse. Police arrested Lofthouse when he got home, the East Idaho News reported.
Blames Robbery on ‘Separate Personality’
According to court documents, Lofthouse denied any involvement in the robbery initially, and told investigators “not to touch the $18,000 cash in his car” it was his “life savings.”
Lofthouse later allegedly admitted to the robbery but blamed it on a separate personality.
Investigators found $15,000 cash, the blue knit hat he wore during the robbery, a Walmart receipt for the backpack and mannequin head he used for the fake bomb and a handwritten note about getting money from Connections Credit Union, the East Idaho News said.
Lofthouse is facing up to life in prison with a minimum five years and a $50,000 fine for felony robbery and 15 years in prison and a $15,000 fine for felony use of a hoax destructive device. He is being held on a $200,000 bond.