Michael Fleming visited a bank to withdraw money when he was jailed and a $5,000 bond was placed on his head.
A man has been charged with robbery after trying to withdraw just one cent from a bank.
Yes, you read that right—he attempted to withdraw the smallest amount of money possible.
What he intended to do with that one cent is another question entirely.
Can you even purchase anything for a single cent these days?
Naturally, this strange incident took place in the Sunshine State of Florida.
So, how does one end up with a felony for trying to withdraw money from a bank?
Michael Fleming tried to withdraw just one cent from the bank.Sumter County Sheriff’s Department
Well, Michael Fleming found out on June 29.
He walked into a Chase branch in Lady Lake, a town in Lake County, and handed the teller a withdrawal slip for one cent.
The bank teller explained that he couldn’t process the request. According to court documents obtained by Law&Crime:
“The defendant was told he could not be given $00.01, at which time [Fleming] advised ‘So you want me to say the other word?'”
“The bank teller, in fear that violence was imminent, notified law enforcement.”
The employee decided to call the police to try and de-escalate the situation, resulting in Fleming, who is from Summerfield, being handcuffed and taken into custody.
Officers stated there was probable cause to believe he had violated robbery laws when he spoke with the bank teller.
Fleming, who doesn’t have an account with Chase Bank, was then taken to jail. He was fingerprinted and had a mugshot taken before being placed on a $5,000 bond.
But Fleming had his own version of events to share with the deputies.
Fleming had a $5,000 bond placed on him.PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
“The defendant advised he drove to the Citizens First Bank, but it was closed, so he then drove a few parking lots over to the Chase Bank,” the affidavit reads.
“The defendant described walking into the bank, filling out a withdrawal slip for $00.01, and providing it to the bank teller who advised ‘we can’t give you one cent,’ at which time the defendant advised ‘So you want me to say the other word?'”
“At that moment, the bank teller had some kind of realization about what was happening and stepped away from the counter.”
Fleming allegedly told police: “Most of the time, the way tellers are trained, if someone comes in to rob you, you give them the money and let them go.”
Court documents continued: “The defendant advised he was expecting the bank teller to give him the $00.01, at which time he would then sit in the chair and wait for law enforcement.
“The defendant advised that after not receiving anything from the teller, he just waited in the lobby for law enforcement to arrive. The defendant advised his goal was to be arrested.”
Law enforcement noted that no money was obtained during the alleged robbery attempt.
