Robbery suspect stashed thousands of dollars in her underwear

A Maryland woman is charged with armed robbery after a Monday morning heist. She was apprehended with about US$4500 in her possession, police said.

After robbing a bank of thousands of dollars, one faces a problem: Where to stash that much cash.

For one robber, the answer was down her underwear, Maryland police said.

Bonnie Bosman Taylor, 56, of Ocean City, Maryland, was charged with armed robbery Monday following a bank robbery in West Ocean City, earlier that day, according to Delmarvanow, citing charging documents.

The incident started, bank tellers reportedly told police, when a woman dressed in black with a knitted hat came in and handed one of them a note that read, "I have a gun, I will kill you." Sergeant Lindsay Lloyd, a spokeswoman with the Maryland State Police, said the woman did not display a weapon.

The Delmarvanow site said the teller gave her about US$5100 in cash. But some of the cash had "bait money" in it, which are bills that have serial numbers on them so that they can be tracked, according to Maryland State Police.

Surveillance video footage showed Taylor went to a fast-food restaurant before walking to the bank, according to Delmarvanow. She then went back to the restaurant after the robbery to change her clothes in the restroom.

The surveillance video and a restaurant worker who knew of Taylor helped authorities identify her, officials said.

About three hours later, officials found Taylor and some of the stolen money at an addiction service centre, Lloyd said. About US$4500 was "stashed in her underwear," according to Delmarvanow.

Maryland State Police said Taylor admitted to the crime and was charged without incident.

At least nine law enforcement agencies, including the state police's aviation division and the Worcester County Sheriff's canine unit helped in the incident, Lloyd said.

"Bank robbery is a major incident in Worcester County," Lloyd said of the multiple-agency response.