Detroit man used phone message to rob Bloomfield Township bank of $1,900, charges say

A Detroit man has been charged with robbing a Bloomfield Township bank earlier this month, the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office said, using a phone message to demand money.

Deshawn Steven Johnson, 51, participated via video conference for an arraignment hearing on Monday in 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills, court records show. 

The robbery was reported via an alarm about 2 p.m. on April 1 from Mi Bank on West Maple Street. The Bloomfield Township Police Department said the robber showed an employee a message on his phone stating this was a robbery and demanded cash. He then drove off in a black van. 

McDonald said the suspect left with about $1,900. 

"Bank robberies endanger employees and customers," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald said. "This case sends a message to would-be robbers: Oakland County law enforcement will track you down, and we will hold you accountable." 

The Bloomfield Township Police Department said it worked with the Troy Special Investigations Unit and Southfield Tactical Crime Suppression Unit to track down the suspect. McDonald said police used security camera video from nearby businesses, combined with information from the Flock camera license plate reader system, to identify the van involved in the heist and locate the suspect in Southfield. 

Bond was set at $1 million on the charge. A probable cause conference is scheduled for April 16, and a preliminary exam is set for April 23. 

The suspect was arrested on April 3. Bank robbery is punishable by up to life in prison.