Crystal Lake couple admits to several suburban bank robberies
Chronicle Media — February 24, 2019
Daniel and Jessica Plushkis
A husband and wife from Crystal Lake have pleaded guilty to multiple bank robberies in the Chicago area.
Daniel Plushkis, 27, pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of bank robbery, and admitted as part of a plea deal that he committed two other bank robberies. His wife, Jessica, pleaded guilty Feb. 11 to two counts of aiding and abetting a bank robbery.
The Cary, Huntley, Arlington Heights, Streamwood, Algonquin and Crystal Lake police departments assisted in the FBI investigation.
Daniel Plushkis admitted to robbing the Chase Bank at 300 Northwest Highway in Cary on Dec. 1, 2017. He entered the bank wearing a long fake beard, hooded black jacket, camouflage hat and sunglasses. He handed a teller an envelope with a note on it stating that he had a gun and he began counting down from 30. The teller put $5,870 from a bank cash drawer into the envelope and Plushkis fled from the bank with the cash.
Plushkis also admitted that he robbed the TCF banks at 13200 Village Green Drive in Huntley on Dec. 10, 2017 and at 1860 S. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights on Dec. 13, 2017.
In those robberies, Plushkis again wore the long fake beard and sunglasses, handed a teller an envelope with a note taped to it and began a countdown. Plushkis stole $237 during the Huntley robbery and $2,676 during the Arlington Heights heist.
As part of his plea agreement, Plushkis also admitted that he robbed the TCF Bank at 217 E. Irving Park Road in Streamwood on Dec. 20, 2017. He wore the long fake beard, sunglasses and hooded black jacket. He handed the teller an envelope with a note taped to it and demanded that the teller give him the money that the individual was in the process of counting. The teller handed over $500 and Plushkis fled the bank.
As part of Jessica Plushkis’ plea agreement, she admitted to aiding and abetting her husband in the Arlington Heights robbery. She admitted that she purchased a fake beard, black-colored hair spray and black face paint for her husband a few hours before the robbery, knowing that he intended to use the items as part of his disguise.
As part of both offenders’ plea agreements, the couple also admitted that Daniel Plushkis robbed the TCF Bank at 103 S. Randall Road in Algonquin on Dec. 23, 2017 and that Jessica Plushkis aided and abetted him in committing that robbery. After Daniel Plushkis handed the teller a note stating that he had a gun in that robbery, a teller put $4,350 from a bank drawer into an envelope. Plushkis fled the premises with the envelope and cash heading toward the vehicle where his wife was waiting for him, but he was apprehended by a citizen in the parking lot.
Jessica Plushkis admitted that, after her husband was apprehended, she quickly drove out of the parking lot to avoid being apprehended, but was quickly pulled over by a police officer as she exited the parking lot.
Police at the scene recovered the money Daniel Plushkis stole from the bank.
Each of the counts to which Daniel and Jessica Plushkis pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release of up to three years following imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
