WENTZVILLE, Mo. – A man involved in several crimes in Wentzville may also be linked to robberies that occurred in Texas and Kansas.
According to police, Karsten Hardeman, caused a disturbance at a towing company, where his vehicle was towed to after an arrest on Jan. 2. After officers arrived, they found drugs and a large sum of money.
While Hardeman was held for the misdemeanor drug violation the officer continued the drug investigation due to the large sum of money being suspicious.
After further investigation, officers obtained a search warrant for Hardeman’s vehicle.
The search warrant revealed several items including two masks, computer and a cell phone. New technology also helped the department obtain information from his cell phone leading the direction of the investigation to robbery.
After he was released on the misdemeanor drug charge on the same day, the Wentzville Police Department received a call for a Bank Robbery at 1st Financial Credit Union located at 1232 Wentzville Parkway. The suspect went into the bank and demanded $50,000 and fled.
While on the way to the robbery, an officer – knowing the bank is across the street from the police station – left on foot toward the bank. The officer found the suspect sitting on the curb in the police department’s parking lot.
As he contacted the suspect and gave him verbal commands to see his hands, the officer observed several $100 bills falling from the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt.
He was taken into custody. A national intelligence bulletin was issued from the Wentzville Police Department, which revealed the suspect was possibly connected to bank robberies in Kansas and Texas.
On Thursday, Hardeman was charged with first-degree robbery and stealing from a financial institution.
The Wentzville Police Department is currently working with our local FBI office in partnership with agencies in Kansas and Texas assisting their investigations with other bank robberies. Hardeman was transferred to the St. Charles County Department of Corrections on his charges with a $100,000 cash-only bond.
