A 30-year-old Morden man is facing five counts of robbery in connection to a rash of bank robberies between November 2022 and January 2023.

Police say that investigators from the Major Crime Services unit were able to link the same suspect to bank robberies in Steinbach, Lowe Farm, Glenboro and two in Miami.

Police said that the robberies were initially investigated by the detachments in each area but were taken over by Major Crime Services when it became obvious that there were several similarities in each robbery. In each robbery the suspect entered the bank, gave the teller a note saying that it was a robbery, and then fled the scene. In some instances, the suspect indicated in the note that he had a firearm. The suspect received an undisclosed amount of cash in each of the robberies except Steinbach.

Police say that in each robbery the suspect wore similar clothes but fled in a different vehicle.

Officers executed warrants in two separate homes, one in the RM of Hanover and the other in Morden. The search resulted in evidence being seized including clothing and cash.

Brett Ashton Krashel has been charged for his alleged involvement and has been detained in custody.

“This was a difficult investigation with crime scenes spread out across southern Manitoba. I would like to commend the investigators who quickly recognized the similarities of these crimes and worked tenaciously to identify and safely arrest the suspect,” said Assistant Commissioner Rob Hill, Commanding Officer of the Manitoba RCMP. “It’s also our hope that this arrest will bring back a sense of safety to the employees and communities who were affected by these robberies.”