Sacto 9-1-1

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

An El Dorado County man, dubbed the "Poodle Bandit" by investigators, has pleaded guilty to six counts of armed bank robbery.

Belko Yovanovich, 52, of Somerset, entered the plea Tuesday in federal court in Fresno.

Yovanovich was dubbed the Poodle Bandit because of the curly gray wig he wore during each of the alleged robberies. According to a federal Department of Justice news release, he admitted that he robbed six banks in five counties in the Eastern District of California between March 8 and May 6, 2010. Yovanovich also admitted that during each of the robberies, he entered the bank and, armed with a handgun, ordered the bank tellers to give him all the money.

As part of the plea agreement, Yovanovich also admitted he robbed a bank in the Northern District of California on April 5, 2010. He was apprehended after an alert citizen saw him leaving the Oak Valley Bank in Modesto and called authorities, who responded and arrested Yovanovich.

He is to be sentenced May 16 by U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger.

Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.

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About Sacto 9-1-1

Sacto 9-1-1 is a blog on crime and emergency services news in the Sacramento region.

Send feedback on Sacto 9-1-1 to Assistant Metro Editor Anthony Sorci at asorci@sacbee.com

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Sacto 9-1-1 Q&A

Q: What happened with the case regarding Marc McCormick? He was accused of videotaping a woman in her home and was arrested. He lives in my neighborhood and I see him all the time. Were charges dropped?


A: According to Sacramento Superior Court online records, misdemeanor charges have been filed against Mark William McCormick, alleging that he used a camcorder or other instrument to view an individual in a place where there was an expectation of privacy, trespassing and peeping.

His next court date is June 4.

According to Sacramento police logs, McCormick, 40, was arrested March 8 after the victim reported that a friend had entered her home without her knowledge to secretly videotape her.


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