Alleged FedEx Bandit Is Captured at Border

A 40-year-old Iranian national has confessed to being the “FedEx bandit,” who robbed 43 banks in Southern California over two years, taking an estimated $300,000, officials said Tuesday.

Farzad Naroli, also known as Ernest Lozano and Farzad Naroli Farkbaksh, was arrested as he tried to walk across the border from Mexico at the San Ysidro port of entry Monday.

“A great deal of time and energy has gone into stopping his spree,” said San Diego Police Lt. Mike Angus. “Now, it’s over.”

Thirty of the robberies were in San Diego County. The rest occurred in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

In each case, the robber spoke in heavily accented English and displayed a gun or bomb, although no shots were fired or explosives detonated, officials said.

The FBI dubbed him the FedEx bandit because he gave tellers a FedEx envelope and ordered them to fill it with cash.

Naroli is being held in San Diego County Jail in lieu of $1-million bail. His arraignment is today.

He confessed after a five-hour interrogation, said FBI spokeswoman April Langwell.

Naroli is also being investigated for possible money laundering in Mexico, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lauren Mack.

“He’s a very complex character, very hard to trap,” Mack said.

The first robbery occurred Sept. 24, 2003, the last on Aug. 30. A cellphone dropped at one of the later robberies was traced to Naroli, officials said.

He was stopped at the border when inspectors saw him perspiring profusely and acting nervous, officials said.