Montcalm County Sheriffs Deputies are looking for the man who robbed the Chemical Bank in Edmore on Saturday, March 30.

According to police, the robbery occurred about 10:40 a.m. in downtown Edmore (about 40 miles northeast of Cedar Springs). A lone man reportedly entered the bank and presented a note to one of the tellers demanding money. The robber implied he had a weapon, but no weapon was seen. The man left the bank, on foot, with an undisclosed amount of money.

The man is described as a white male in his late 30s or early 40s, about 5’6” to 5’8”, 160-175 pounds, with short dark hair and gray goatee. He was wearing a dark zippered jacket, dark crew neck t-shirt and dark pants, and dark sunglasses.

Anyone with information on this robbery is asked to call the Montcalm County Sheriff’s Office at 989.831.5253 or Silent Observer at 616.454.9110.

This was the scene when the Admiral Gas Station at the corner of Main and Muskegon when it was robbed in October. It was robbed again Saturday evening, December 22. Post photo by J. Reed.

The Admiral Gas Station at the corner of Main Street and Muskegon in Cedar Springs was robbed again Sunday evening, December 22, for the second time in just over two months.
According to Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent, the robbery took place about 9:06 p.m. A single male entered the store wearing a dark coat with light colored collar, dark beanie-type stocking cap, and a light-colored mask. He was described as about 5-foot 8-inches, 200 pounds. The suspect kept his hand inside his pocket to imply he had a weapon. He fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.
No area canine units were available to track the subject.
The clerk on duty was not the same clerk as in the previous robbery. That incident took place October 9, about 8:20 p.m. The robber in that incident was described as 5-foot 6-inches, medium build, with a raspy voice.
If you have info on this or the other robbery, please call the Cedar Springs Police at 616-696-1311.

Authorities have arrested a suspect in the Huntington Bank robbery in Greenville. The bank was robbed in November at gunpoint and an undisclosed amount of money was taken.

In mid January the Greenville Department of Public Safety formed a joint Task Force with the Montcalm County Sheriff Department and the FBI to investigate a series of crimes within the city including the bank robbery, the Family Dollar armed robbery and Huch’s Fine Jewelry store retail fraud.

According to the Greenville Department of Public Safety, it was the hard and persistent work of the officers on the task force that led to the arrest of Reuben Olson III, 22, of Greenville. The subject is currently in federal custody and the bank robbery is still an active investigation.

The Family Dollar armed robbery and the retail fraud at Huch’s Fine Jewelry store investigations are still on going and anyone with information is requested to contact the Greenville Department of Public Safety at 754-9161or Silent Observer.

Police are searching for a man that grabbed a handful of jewelry and fled from a store in downtown Greenville Tuesday afternoon.

According to police, the incident occurred about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 29, when a white male entered Huch’s Jewelers in downtown Greenville and was looking at merchandise. The subject distracted the employee, grabbed the items off the counter and fled on foot out the back door and northbound through the alley.

He is described as about 5-feet 11-inches tall, 200 pounds, a two-day growth of beard, wearing a black Under Armour hat with a white log, and a dark-colored light winter jacket with a red hooded sweatshirt underneath.

Anyone with info is asked to call the Greenville Department of Public Safety at 754-9161.

This masked gunman robbed the Subway in Cedar Springs Tuesday morning, April 12.

UPDATE: April 20

It appears that the armed robbery of the Cedar Springs Subway on 17 Mile Road last week was an inside job.

According to the Cedar Springs Police Department, daytime manager Kristin Joy Fredrickson, 35, of Solon Township, the alleged victim of the robbery, admitted to police she was involved and that she had another employee and former employee assist her.

Fredrickson will be arraigned today (Wednesday) in 63rd District Court on counts of filing a false police report a four-year felony; larceny by conversion-a five-year felony; and larceny in a building-a three-year felony. Warrants have also been obtained for her two male accomplices, a 20 and 21-year-old. They will face charges of larceny in a building and larceny by conversion.

Read the complete story in Thursday’s Post.

ORIGINAL STORY: April 12

Police are searching for a man that got more than a healthy breakfast at the Subway in Cedar Springs Tuesday morning.
Police Chief Roger Parent reported that they responded to an armed robbery call at the Subway, located at 4116 17 Mile Road, at 8:22 a.m., April 12. The day shift manager reported that a masked man entered through the rear door soon after she arrived to open the business. He held what looked like a gun in one hand and a bag in the other. After she complied with his demands, he fled to a vehicle parked to the east at a neighboring business. The vehicle was described as a red or burgundy Pontiac, possibly an older style Pontiac Grand Prix.  Witnesses reported seeing a man running to this vehicle and getting into the passenger side door.  The vehicle then fled eastbound at a high rate of speed.
Cedar Springs units were assisted at the scene by the Kent County Sheriff Department’s crime scene technicians, and both Cedar Springs and County units canvassed the area checking for the suspect vehicle. Police released surveillance video in the hope that someone will recognize the suspect.
The manager described the man as a white male, short, approximately 5-feet 4-inches, with dark clothing and a hoodie.  He wore something to cover his face.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Cedar Springs Police Department 616-696-1311 or Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345. You can also text Silent Observer a tip. Text “Tip138” plus your message to CRIMES (274637). The keyword TIP138 must appear on the first line of your text message in order to reach Silent Observer.

The manager described the man as a white male, short, approximately 5-feet 4-inches, with dark clothing and a hoodie.  He wore something to cover his face.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Cedar Springs Police Department 616-696-1311 or Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345. You can also text Silent Observer a tip. Text “Tip138” plus your message to CRIMES (274637). The keyword TIP138 must appear on the first line of your text message in order to reach Silent Observer.

Anthony Hincka

A man suspected in the robbery of Gould’s Mini Mart in Ensley Township was arrested last week and charged with two other robberies in Montcalm County.

Anthony Hincka, 49, of Grand Rapids, was arrested Sunday, October 4, thanks to a citizen who thought he looked suspicious.

According to the Michigan State Police Newaygo Post, Gould’s Mini Mart, 14150 S. Cypress, in Newaygo’s Ensley Township was robbed September 25 about 8:30 a.m. by a white male with knife. He fled in a blue/green Chevrolet pickup. A sketch was then distributed to area media.

On Sunday, October 4, an alert citizen in Montcalm County observed what they considered a suspicious person and vehicle and reported it to police. Police then identified the suspect through the information.

A short time later, two armed robberies occurred with a knife in Montcalm County with a similar suspect and vehicle description. One robbery occurred in Howard City at Rana Liquor, and a second robbery occurred in Lakeview at the Mobil Station. Because of the information from the citizen, Hincka was identified and arrested for armed robbery by Troopers from the MSP Rockford, MSP Lakeview, and MSP Newaygo. He was lodged in the Montcalm County jail pending arraignment.

Hincka was arraigned in Montcalm District Court 64B in Stanton, on October 5, on two counts of armed robbery for the Montcalm robberies. Bond was set at $250,000 cash surety in each case. His felony pretrial and preliminary examination are both set for October 13 at 1 p.m.

Hincka has not yet been arraigned on charges in the Gould’s armed robbery in Newaygo County.

Police are searching for the man that robbed a local market last Friday.

This is a sketch of the alleged robber at Gould’s Market.

According to the Michigan State Police in Newaygo, a white male, approximately 40-50 years old, robbed Goulds Market, 14150 Cypress, in Ensley Township, at about 8:30 a.m. Friday morning, September 25. Police said he was about 6-feet tall, and wore a black shirt with the hood pulled up. He allegedly robbed the store at knifepoint. The suspect then fled north on Cypress, driving a newer Chevrolet pickup, possibly blue/green in color.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Michigan State Police Newaygo Post at (231) 652-1661. You can also contact Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 or toll free at 1-866-774-2345.

The Montcalm County Sheriff Department is investigating robberies at two different gas stations in the county last week.

The first one occurred Tuesday, August 18, about 2:06 a.m. at the BP Gas station at 7990 South Sheridan Road in Fairplain Township. A white female reportedly entered the store wearing a hoodie and sunglasses, and threatened the cashier. Although no weapon was brandished, the cashier did see a weapon in the pocket of the suspect, and described it as having a black handle with screws. The robber received an undetermined amount of cash and fled through the front door. The Montcalm County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Rex tracked the suspect to a business lot just north of the scene, where the scent was lost.

The suspect is described as a white female, with a small frame, five-foot three-inches to five-foot five-inches in height, wearing a red hoodie and jeans.

The second robbery occurred two days later, August 20, at 3:38 a.m., at the Admiral Gas station, 6990 S. Greenville Road, in Eureka Township. A male wearing a ski mask confronted the clerk while she was outside the store. The robber took her by the arm and led her into the store behind the counter, to the cash register, which she opened. The clerk was told to stay down the floor and the robber took the money from the register. The robber then fled in an unknown direction. The clerk did not see a weapon. Montcalm County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Rex was called to the scene but was unable to find a track.

The robber is described as a male, approximately five-foot 9-inches, slender build, wearing a ski mask, light-colored long sleeve shirt and gloves.
Anyone with info on either of these crimes should call the Sheriff Department at 989-831-7593.