One of the FBI’s most wanted men in New York , responsible for nine recent bank robberies since December, was arrested this morning by federal agents in Queens.
Marat Mikhaylich, 35, was armed with a gun when FBI agents nabbed him on 91st Avenue near Rockaway Boulevard, in Woodhaven about 9:30 a.m, according to law enforcement sources.
Mikhaylich, coined the “holiday bandit” by authorities due to his spree begining during the Christmas season.
The Ukrainian born Mikhaylich is a hard to miss at 6-foot-5 inches tall and a fluent Russian speaker. due to surveillance camera images, he was identified by authorities soon after his spree.
He robbed banks in Queens, Brooklyn and even Staten Island, sometimes wearing a hat and glasses and other times he made no attempt top hide his identity.
In each case, he marched up to the tellers window, pulled out a gun and made verbal demands for cash, said sources. It is not clear how much cash his spree has netted him.
Mikhaylich allegedly struck yesterday when he robbed a Cathay bank in Edison, New Jersey. after the heist, he escaped in a 2007 Toyota Camry.
Federal authorities learned the vehicle had been reported stolen and received a tip early yesterday that the car had been spotted in Queens.
Agents moved in and grabbed Mikhaylich without incident.