Man confesses to Hermon bank robbery
HERMON — A father's concern for his son led James E. Russ to confess he robbed the Community Bank branch on Church Street last month.
Mr. Russ, 23, Hermon, was charged late Saturday with felony second-degree robbery, state police said. He was arraigned in Canton Village Court and sent to St. Lawrence County jail, Canton, on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond.
The investigation had focused on Mr. Russ, who was scheduled to take a polygraph test in the coming days. Investigators said they are looking into whether the robbery was drug-related, and they believe he acted alone.
"We had real good information from the community that he was a suspect," State Police Lt. Scott K. Heggelke said Sunday. "We started to check into his whereabouts and there were several holes in his story."
James' father, Robert H., became convinced his son committed the robbery, state police said. He contacted Potsdam village Police Chief John A. Kaplan for assistance.
"I found myself in a position to help out with this investigation," said Mr. Kaplan, acknowledging Robert H. as a friend. "I assisted the state police as a consequence of that."
Mr. Kaplan declined to discuss additional details.
"We see good parents do that," Lt. Heggelke said, referring to Robert H. Russ' actions. "They know it is something they will have to deal with. Parents want their kids to get help and hope the justice system gets involved and offers them counseling and the help they need."
No one answered the door Sunday afternoon at the Russ family home on County Route 21.
The robber reportedly showed a teller a gun tucked in his waistband when he demanded money during a July 21 robbery. He never pulled the weapon from his waistband, police said, and left the bank with an undisclosed amount of money.
"We have never been able to definitely determine he had a gun," Lt. Heggelke said. "The bank clerk thought she had seen a gun after he said he was armed."
The money hasn't been recovered. Following the confession, authorities reportedly recovered the clothing Mr. Russ had worn during the robbery.
Several agencies, including the St. Lawrence County sheriff's department, state Department of Environmental Conservation and Canton and Potsdam village police, assisted in the investigation.
Mr. Russ has had previous encounters with law enforcement.
In March 2007, Mr. Russ was charged by Gouverneur village police with petit larceny and falsifying business records. He allegedly stole an undisclosed amount of money from a coffee fund and falsified his time sheet while working at Kinney Drugs Distribution Center in Gouverneur.
Three months later, he was charged by St. Lawrence County sheriff's deputies with driving while intoxicated after being stopped on Route 812 in the town of Oswegatchie.
