PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An unarmed Oregon man attempted to rob a Portland Bank of America branch after trying to open an account with them, according to court documents filed with the U.S. District Court in Portland.
Jason Oberst, 29, walked into the Bank of America branch on the 1200 block of Northeast Broadway Street Tuesday morning and requested to open a new account.
A teller assisted Oberst, who then provided both his driver’s license and Social Security card. He also wrote down his phone number and email address on a piece of paper, court records show.
When the teller tried to open the account, they learned that Oberst actually owed them money from another account. After this, Oberst asked for a piece of paper and then allegedly wrote: “This is a bank robbery, please stay calm and retrieve $1,000 from the bank.”
After reading the note, the teller and the rest of the bank employees called police and locked themselves in the vault, according to court documents.
Portland Police Bureau officers responded to the scene and found Oberst sitting in a chair in a cubicle. He was arrested without incident.
While being taken to the police precinct, he allegedly told officers, “They are supposed to give me money if I give them a note.”
Oberst later told two FBI agents that he needed the money so he could drive to Las Vegas and play poker. He added that he did not mean to scare anyone at the bank, according to court records.
It’s unclear if he has an attorney.