A Belgrade man who's accused of holding up a Bozeman bank has pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery and possession of dangerous drugs.
Judd Schwartz, 36, was arrested at his home after police received several tips following the June 26th robbery of the American Federal Savings Bank on North Seventh Avenue.
Court records say a masked man walked up to a teller and demanded money, before fleeing on a green Kawasaki dirt bike. No weapon was displayed during the robbery, which netted about $2,500.
Schwartz faces the drug charge because police say they found a bag of methamphetamine in his pocket during his arrest the day after the robbery.
Schwartz bail was continued on Tuesday at $155,000.
(from the archives)
A Belgrade man accused of robbing the American Federal Savings Bank in Bozeman while wearing a purple costume mask appeared in court Monday morning.
Judd J. Schwartz, 36, is accused of entering the bank at 606 North Seventh Avenue at about 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 26 and demanding money from a bank teller. The teller said she believes she gave the robber around $2,500 in cash.
Surveillance photos from the bank show the robber wearing a purple costume mask over a yellow ski mask, blue denim jeans, a long-sleeve brown pullover shirt with a blue and yellow backpack and carrying a black bag.
Schwartz was in the bank for less than a minute before making his getaway on a lime green dirt bike, according to court documents.
Police chased him through Bozeman, but did not apprehend him until the next day when he was arrested at his home. During a search at the Gallatin County Detention Center, authorities found a clear plastic baggie containing a crystalline substance, which was tested and determined to be meth.
Schwartz was charged with robbery and possessing methamphetamine. Schwartz made his initial appearance in Gallatin County Justice Court Monday before Judge Wanda Drusch.
Drusch had to ask Schwartz, who appeared via video conferencing hunched over with his arms crossed, to sit up during his appearance.
Schwartz, who has reportedly lived in Gallatin County since he was three years old, worked as a house painter for 14 years. Court documents indicate a 2000 Subaru Legacy had just been repossessed from Schwartz's residence.
Schwartz was convicted in 1995 of disorderly conduct and obstructing a peace office. In 1997, he was convicted of resisting arrest. He also has two DUIs from 1999 and 2003.
Schwartz could receive maximum penalties of 40 in prison for robbery and five years for possessing methamphetamine.
He is being held on $155,000 bail.
(from June 27, 2009)
The American Federal Bank on 7th Avenue North in Bozeman was robbed on Friday afternoon.
According to the Bozeman Police Department, a man entered the bank wearing a purple mask and demanded cash from a teller, who gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of money. The man then fled the bank and drove away on a lime-green motorcycle, described by witnesses as a Kawasaki model designed for off-road use. He was last seen traveling east on Tamarack, near Rouse.
In addition to wearing the bizarre mask, the suspect was reported to be wearing blue jeans, a long-sleeved brown pullover shirt, a small blue and yellow backpack, and carrying a small black bag. He is described as being between 6' and 6'3" with a slender build.
Authorities released two pictures from bank surveillance cameras, one of which shows the suspect's bizarre mask.
No one was reported to be injured in the robbery, and although the suspect did not brandish a gun, he is likely dangerous and should not be approached directly; if you encounter this suspect, or have any information about him or the robbery, you should immediately contact the Bozeman police at 582-2000, or local authorities in your area.
