“The Vaulter Bandit” arrested

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The bank robber police dubbed ‘The Vaulter Bandit’ due to his ability to leap over cashier desks to steal money is now behind bars. Jeffrey James Shuman was arrested while on vacation in Switzerland and is now back on Canadian soil.

Police say “The Vaulter Bandit” robbed 21 banks across Canada, 17 in the GTA in a span of 5 years including a Scotia Bank off Stone Church road in Hamilton in 2010. Shuman, who has American and French citizenship, wasn’t new to robbing banks he served 9 years in American prison after robbing 15 banks in Florida and Tennessee during the 90’s. Paroled in 2004, he fled the U.S with 3 years remaining in his sentence.

Police say they were able to identify Shuman as the vaulting bandit after retrieving some DNA left at the scene of his most recent robbery last May. However, Shuman had already escaped to Europe.

“A lot of surveillance when he went into Switzerland and that’s when Swiss authorities took him into custody.”

Shuman was arrested in September and ordered to be extradited back to Canada in February. On his flight back police believe Shuman faked a heart condition in an attempt to delay the 30 charges awaiting him in Canada. The plane landed in England, where Shuman was given medical clearance to continue flying.

Shuman is set to make a video appearance in court March 11.