Convicted bank robber - volunteer project leader on lam (Updated)

This photo of Frederick Craig Johnson appears on the North Bay Police Service Web site. He's on the lam now and a suspect in crimes in North Bay and Southern Ontario.
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A convicted bank robber who had said he had turned his life
around, and had gotten a job with the Volunteer Centre of the Blue Sky Region, is now wanted by police services here and in Southern Ontario.

At a news conference today, North Bay Police Service Deputy
Police Chief Paul Cook alleged that Frederick Craig Johnson, 47, had stolen a rental car in North Bay Jan. 27 using a stolen credit card, and is also a suspect in a robbery which occurred in Southern Ontario yesterday.

He is described as male white, 5’9, 160 lbs with hazel eyes, brown hair and a brown moustache.

His last address in North Bay was on Martin Street.

Police aren't sure if Johnson is still in the city, but believe he could be in the Greater Toronto Area.

Convicted for role in 10 robberies
Johnson, a federal parolee, has a record which runs from 1975 to 2000 and is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for breach of parole.

He was convicted in 2000 for his involvement in 10 bank robberies in Toronto, Cook said, “and received a sentence of eight years on each count concurrent.”

In 1997 Johnson was convicted of robbery in Hamilton and received a two-year sentence.

Cook said Johnson may be operating a 2003 Hyundai Accent, bright red in colour, bearing Ontario licence plate APHY663.
That is the make and model of the stole vehicle.

A public advisory has been placed on the North Bay police Web site.

Considered dangerous
Johnson had been in charge of the Youth-in-Conflict-With-the-Law and Volunteerism project.

Cook said since Johnson is on the lam, "he should be considered dangerous."

Johnson’s “modus operandi,” Cook said, “was to walk into a financial institution, approach the teller, and advise the teller he was armed with a firearm, or allude to the fact he was armed with a firearm, demand cash, obtain the cash, and then leave the scene.”

In each case no firearm was ever seen, Cook said, “so at this point we’re not sure if he is armed or not.”

An alert was going out, Cook said, in the event Johnson returns to North Bay.

Caring, compassionate human being
Kirsten Schmidt-Chamberlain, executive director of the volunteer centre, said she was "very worried" about Johnson.

"Craig was a model employee right until Monday, when he disappeared," Schmidt-Chamberlain said.

"He is a caring compassionate human being who was very open about his problems and wanted to ensure that youth-in-conflict-with-the-law did not end up on his path."

Johnson had admitted to having had past substance abuse problems, Schmidt-Chamberlain added.

BayToday.ca will update this story later tonight.