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Defendant in credit union robbery makes initial appearance

-Messenger photo by Elijah Decious
Ted Hammersley, 29, makes his initial appearance via video conference in Webster County Magistrate Court Tuesday morning to answer to charges stemming from the robbery of GreenState Credit Union Monday morning. GreenState, 1207 Central Ave., is where First American Bank used to be.

The Fort Dodge man accused of robbing GreenState Credit Union Monday morning made his initial appearance in Magistrate Court Tuesday.

Bond for Ted Hammersley, 29, was set at $112,000 cash only, collectively, with the majority coming from $100,000 set for the first-degree robbery charge. He is being held at Webster County Jail.

Hammersley is charged with first-degree robbery, a Class B felony; going armed with intent, a Class D felony; assault while participating in a felony, a Class D felony; and carrying weapons, an aggravated misdemeanor.

The defendant’s arraignment is scheduled for March 13.

Hammersley was arrested after GreenState Credit Union reported an armed robbery shortly after 9:30 Monday morning.

Fort Dodge Police apprehended him just outside the credit union, 1207 Central Ave. (the former location of First American Bank), after they say he robbed it with a knife. Matching a detailed description given by credit union employees, he was found in possession of a knife and an undisclosed amount of cash as he attempted to leave on foot.

No employees were injured during the incident. The assault charge was due to the threat of physical injury, said Capt. Ryan Gruenberg, public information officer for Fort Dodge Police Department.

In 2003, a petition for juvenile delinquency charged him with third-degree burglary and second-degree criminal mischief. The case was adjudicated with the criminal mischief charge, dismissing the burglary charge with probation and restitution.

In January 2017, Hammersley was arrested for willful injury causing serious injury, a Class D felony, after criminal complaints say he assaulted a man in a dispute about a wallet. The complaint said the victim suffered a subdermal hematoma, a type of traumatic brain injury, after being picked up, slammed to the ground, hit and kicked in the face, back and stomach.

Hammersley received a suspended five-year prison sentence for that conviction, successfully completing two years of probation.

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