A man accused of being the high-profile serial bank-robber who the FBI dubbed the “Elmer Fudd bandit” was arrested in Clarkson early Friday morning thanks to an anonymous tipster, said Sheriff Rick Clemons.
After a robbery occurred at the US Bank in Louisville’s West Buechel area on Thursday, Louisville Metro Police Department released a description of the thief and soon received an anonymous call from a Grayson County resident who had potentially spotted the bandit in Clarkson.
LMPD notified the Grayson County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Rick Clemons quickly followed up on the tip by gathering backup assistance from Kentucky State Police.
At approximately 2 a.m. on Friday morning, the team moved in on the Renfrow Street apartment where the alleged thief was suspected of living with his girlfriend.
KSP covered the rear of the building, while GCSD entered through the front and apprehended 39-year-old Todd Berkley on an outstanding felony warrant from Illinois as well as robbery in the first-degree, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to Clemons, Berkley’s girlfriend, 35-year-old Tracey L. Phillips, of Clarkson, was also arrested for possession of heroin in the first degree and failure to appear in court.
While there were no weapons at the residence, and no cash was recovered from the robbery, Clemons said that the amount of heroin discovered in the apartment was quite large.
Following the raid, FBI agents and LMPD officers arrived to question Berkley, who is also suspected of committing a string of Chicago-area bank robberies. It was his attire - flannel shirts and caps - which incited the FBI to dub the thief the ‘Elmer Fudd bandit.’
“We knew we were dealing with a bank robber, but we didn’t know he was wanted by the FBI,” Clemons said.
Berkley is currently being lodged in the Grayson County Detention Center. Phillips was also transported to the GCDC, where she is being held on $500,000 bail.
Clemons was assisted by Deputies Buck Meredith and Adam Cottrell of the GCSD, Troopers Brad Riley, Jason Drane and Kevin Burton of KSP, and Detective James Clark of LMPD.
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