The Milwaukee man charged with robbing two banks in Waukesha County over a three-day period earlier this year pleaded guilty to both offenses Friday. Oct. 16, in Waukesha County Circuit Court.
Thomas Clark, 55, was charged with two counts of robbery of a financing institution, both felonies, for robbing a Waukesha bank on May 29 and a bank in Wales on June 1.
He will be sentenced by Judge Lee S. Dreyfus during a Dec. 22 hearing. Clark faces up to 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine for each offense.
Clark's bail is revoked pending sentencing, according to online court records.
According to the criminal complaint, Clark robbed a Tri City National bank on Sunset Drive, inside Pick 'n Save, in Waukesha and Town Bank in Wales two days later.
At the Waukesha bank, Clark wore a blue surgical mask covering his face when he approached the bank teller. He then threw a crumpled up piece of paper on the counter. Clark later told police he didn't remember what he wrote because he was under the influence of crack cocaine and because he was sick, the complaint said.
Clark left with $4,724, but the money was later found in the parking lot of the bank, 220 E. Sunset Drive. An exploded red dye pack was also found by police in a plastic bag in the supermarket's parking lot, according to the criminal complaint.
Three days later, Clark entered Town Bank, 511 N. Wales Road, wearing a bandana around his neck and face.
He told a teller he had a bomb and placed a suspicious package on the counter. According to the complaint, Clark indicated the bomb would not be set off if he got $15,000 in cash. (The only item found in the package was an electronic candle.)
Clark told police he gave $11,100 to his parents, to whom he owed money, and $2,000 in cash to a neighbor of his parents. The rest was spent the rest on drugs and food.