Two Illinois men are now charged in connection with three bank robberies in southeast Iowa. Morris Thompson III, 26, and Ryan Zasareti, 21, were arrested this week after police tracked down the owner of a red Ford van believed to be involved in robberies of banks in Ottumwa and Mt. Pleasant on August 9th and another robbery of the same bank in Mt. Pleasant on September 15th.
The owner of the van told investigators he allowed Thompson to use the van on several occasions over the past several months. Zasareti was arrested Tuesday as police served a search warrant at a home in Humboldt, Illinois – where the two men were known to reside. Thompson was arrested Thursday after a high speed chase with law enforcement in Illinois.
The two men are now facing first-degree robbery and other charges in Henry and Wapello Counties. The FBI believes Zasareti and Thompson could also be responsible for bank robberies in Louisville, Kentucky on August 17th.