A Frederick man has been arrested and charged with robbing the same Damascus bank for the third time. His arrest marked the third time he’s robbed the same bank and the third time he’s been caught for it.

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Department – Major Crimes Division have arrested and charged Benjamin Hansberger, 28, of the 5500 block of Foxhall Court in Frederick, with armed robbery of the M&T Bank located at 9801 Main Street in Damascus which took place on Friday, February 2, 2018.

Hansberger was previously arrested and charged with robbing the exact same bank twice within a month back in May and June of 2013. He pleaded guilty to robbing the M&T Bank on May 17, 2013 and again on June 6, 2013. November of 2014, Harnsberger was sentenced to one year and six months suspended sentence, and five years of supervised probation for one robbery and 9 months suspended sentence for the second robbery.

Police report that Harnsberg was back to his criminal haunts last Friday at approximately 2:01 pm, 5th District officers responded to the M&T Bank for an armed robbery that just occurred. The investigation by detectives revealed that the suspect, later identified as Hansberger, entered the bank and approached the teller. Hansberger demanded money from the teller and stated that he had a gun. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, Hansberger fled the bank.

According to an MCPD spokesman, a witness saw Harnsberger leave the bank and get into a dark vehicle. Police were able use investigatory tools to track the vehicle

About 30 minutes later, the vehicle was located by Howard County and Montgomery County Police officers in the at an Exxon gas station in the 12400 block of Clarksville Pike at approximately 2:30 pm. All three people in the vehicle, including Hansberger, were detained. Hansberger matched the description of the bank robbery suspect and was wearing clothing that appeared to be the same worn by the suspect in the bank surveillance video.

During a search of the vehicle, investigators located evidence to include a large amount of cash and the face mask which Hansberger wore during the robbery.

Hansberger was charged with robbery and armed robbery and is being held at the Montgomery County Detention facility without bail. The other two individuals, who were detained, were not charged pending further investigation.

According to a June 8, 2013 article in the Frederick News Post, the second time Harnsberger robbed the bank an off-duty officer in his police cruiser was in bank drive-thru and noticed a man wearing a hood, sunglasses, and a scarf over his face.

Caption: The M&T Bank at 9801 Main Street in Damascus. Photo courtesy Google Maps.

Photo courtesy MCPD.