PHOENIX - A former Phoenix Police officer finds himself on the wrong side of the law as he's accused of robbing five banks at gunpoint in the span of six months. But it took investigators four years to arrest him.
FBI agents say it was a tip that lead them to 40-year-old Chad Goulding, who was living in Fontana, California.
The former officer is accused of robbing five banks around the valley in 2006 and stealing more than $133,000.
From the beginning, FBI agents investigating the crimes though the man behind the mask might be a law enforcement officer.
"Grip, stance, tactical movement through an unknown area, they're similar. So anybody with that type of training, it's easy to see that on a video," said FBI Special Agent Lance Leising.
Leising is part of the agency's bank robbery task force.
He says even the way the bank robber held his hand gun during the takeover robberies sent up a red flag - that the robber could also be a cop.
"We might suspect it, but I've been working bank robberies here for almost nine years now and this is the first time I've ever seen it - it's very rare," said Leising.
They say it took so long to crack this case because Goulding was so efficient at robbing banks.
"Good bank robbers plan it, plan it out ahead of time. They'll conduct surveillance and do things like that..we absolutely believe that's what happened here," said Leising.
Goulding faces 40 counts of kidnapping, forcing people to the ground at gunpoint - including children, during the robberies.
"I mean, it's traumatic. Any victim of crime experiences a traumatic incident, but these bank robberies..some people just can't get over 'em," said Leising
FBI agents say it was a tip that lead them to 40-year-old Chad Goulding, who was living in Fontana, California.
The former officer is accused of robbing five banks around the valley in 2006 and stealing more than $133,000.
From the beginning, FBI agents investigating the crimes though the man behind the mask might be a law enforcement officer.
"Grip, stance, tactical movement through an unknown area, they're similar. So anybody with that type of training, it's easy to see that on a video," said FBI Special Agent Lance Leising.
Leising is part of the agency's bank robbery task force.
He says even the way the bank robber held his hand gun during the takeover robberies sent up a red flag - that the robber could also be a cop.
"We might suspect it, but I've been working bank robberies here for almost nine years now and this is the first time I've ever seen it - it's very rare," said Leising.
They say it took so long to crack this case because Goulding was so efficient at robbing banks.
"Good bank robbers plan it, plan it out ahead of time. They'll conduct surveillance and do things like that..we absolutely believe that's what happened here," said Leising.
Goulding faces 40 counts of kidnapping, forcing people to the ground at gunpoint - including children, during the robberies.
"I mean, it's traumatic. Any victim of crime experiences a traumatic incident, but these bank robberies..some people just can't get over 'em," said Leising
