Michael D. Sandgren is being held on a forgery charge in the Buchanan County jail. The FBI and police say he could also be involved in a string of robberies and thefts at banks, businesses and credit unions over the past several months.

The man authorities believe is responsible for several local robberies is charged Tuesday in a bank robbery. Michael Dale Sandgren was arrested last week on a forgery warrant, but Tuesday officials with the U.S. Attorney's office filed a criminal complaint in U.S. District Court accusing him of robbing the Goppert Financial Bank in Lathrop last month.

According to an affidavit filed by the FBI, Mr. Sandgren's alleged robbery of a store last week in Platte City helped lead authorities to him. A witness at the scene of that incident was able to get a license plate number off the getaway car. When that number was run, investigators questioned one of the two owners listed.

He told them Michael Sandgren was using the vehicle along with a woman listed as one of the owners. Around that same time, police received word from the Missouri Highway Patrol crime laboratory that they had identified a suspect in the robbery of the Crumbly Burger back on June 18th through DNA. That suspect?

Michael Sandgren.

Mr. Sandgren was picked up at a home in the 2000 block of Jones last Tuesday. Shortly after he was taken into custody, authorities say Mr. Sandgren was identified in a line up as the man who robbed the Goppert Financial bank in Lathrop. Mr. Sandgren is still being held on a forgery charge in the Buchanan County jail.

It is believed the U.S. Attorney's office will present additional FBI evidence about the robberies of financial institutions to a grand jury, which would consider additional charges and an indictment some time in the future.