COVINGTON, Tenn. — Imagine you’re walking into the bank to take out some money and the next thing you know, you’re in handcuffs. That became the reality for one Covington man.
Police said a man walked into Regions Bank on Highway 51 asking for money out of his account, but the way he went about it raised several alarms.
Police said the whole ordeal was a misunderstanding.
“An individual had walked into the bank, had slid a note to the teller demanding money,” Covington Police Chief Larry Lindsey said.
Chief Lindsey said it was what was written on that note that caused his department to take action.
“The note basically summarized said that I know you took money from me,” Lindsey said. “I want my $100 back. Don’t mess with me, or I’m going to mess you up.”
Lindsey said out of fear, the teller gave the man the money, and he left the building. The police and FBI arrested him shortly afterward.
But it was during his interview that police realized there was more to the story.
“His meaning that, ‘I’ll mess you up,’ was that he was going to tell their employer that they had taken money from him,” Lindsey said.
Police said family contacted them, claiming the man had been acting strangely lately. He believed someone had taken his money.
But as police found out, all those missing funds were actually transferred to his savings account.
“Misunderstandings happen,” Covington resident Mike Ziedenweber said. “Depending if he had some disability or something, he might have just needed some money out of the bank.”
As of right now, the man is not in custody and hasn’t been charged. Police said it’s up to the district attorney as to what will happen next.
