Parole conditions didn’t stop a two-time convicted bank robber from holding up a small Bragg Creek branch last week.

This small Alberta Treasury Branch in Bragg Creek was held up last week by a man already convicted of two other bank robberies.

On July 13 a man approached a lone bank teller as she opened the Alberta Treasury Branch in Bragg Creek at around 10 a.m. While brandishing a 10-inch long knife and with his face hidden by a balaclava the man demanded money. He took off in a car with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Despite being shook up by the incident, the teller was able to provide police with a detailed description of the robber.

Const. Norman Mercier of the Cochrane RCMP said the teller’s ability to focus and remember the robber led to his arrest.

“The whole time she was concentrating on his clothes, description, words he said and anything else she observed,” Mercier said.

The teller remembered details as small as the colour of stitching on the man’s hoodie.

A suspect was arrested later that afternoon.

Jean Herve Veillette, 39, of Calgary is charged with robbery with a weapon, uttering threats, wearing a mask with intent to commit an indictable offense and assault.

At the time of the robbery Veillete was on parole for an Edmonton bank robbery. He committed the robbery in Edmonton while on parole for an earlier bank robbery in Montreal. Following the Edmonton hold-up he was sent back to prison to finish the remainder of his 7.5 year sentence and in 2005 was sentenced to an additional five years in prison.

Mercier said his parole has been revoked on his current sentence and said he will likely be sent back to the Drumheller Institution to finish it out.

Veillette will appear in Cochrane Provincial Court July 29.

High River bank robbery

In an unrelated case, the Alberta Treasury Branch in High River was also the victim of a robbery last week.

On Thursday at around 2 p.m. a man wearing a nylon over his head, a puffy black winter jacket and knitted woolen finger gloves approached a teller and demanded money. No weapon was brandished and the man was able to get away on foot with an undisclosed amount of money.

Corp. Don Racette of the High River RCMP said the teller was shaken up by the incident.

“She was in shock and upset,” he said.

Police officers and RCMP search dogs did an extensive search of the area, but were unable to locate a suspect.

Racette said tips have been coming into police and they are asking anyone with information to call the High River detachment at 403-652-2357 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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