Fairbanks attempted bank robbery ends in arrest of suspect

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU) - A man is in jail after attempting to rob a Fairbanks bank with a replica gun while demanding tens of thousands of dollars.

The Fairbanks Police Department said officers got a call around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday that 38-year-old Anthony Joseph had entered a Global Credit Union location on Airport Way and demanded $50,000, using what one person described as an “AR15 rifle”.

Joseph pulled out the weapon after demanding the money and began using swear words and threatening the bank employee, according to witness accounts. Police said officers arrived and formed a perimeter around the bank.

Police said witnesses described Joseph tossing the gun across the floor — which is when a customer grabbed it and threw it outside, leading police to arrest Joseph.

The weapon was later identified by the department as an MP5 replica with a real magazine and real bullets in the magazine.

Joseph was charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree terroristic threatening and was jailed at the Fairbanks Correctional Center.

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