Accused TD Bank robber wrote threat on Christmas card

A Morris Plains resident who is accused of robbing a TD Bank in Denville on Dec. 27 by handing a teller a Christmas card that demanded cash was recognized on surveillance images by a Morris County Probation Division employee, according to court records.

Larry Zhou, 31, of Route 10, Morris Plains, was charged on Dec. 29 with one count of robbery -- that of TD Bank on East Main Street in Denville around 10:09 a.m. Dec. 27. His bail initially was set at $125,000 but amended to $75,000 through a consent agreement between the Morris County Prosecutor's Office and defense lawyer Paul Selitto.

Selitto had previously represented Zhou on a conspiracy charge for which he was admitted into Morris County's Pre-Trial Intervention program, a probationary program for non-violent, first-time offenders.

According to an arrest affidavit made public Monday, Zhou passed a Christmas card to a TD Bank teller that demanded money be placed in a box. With an unspecified amount of cash in hand, he allegedly fled in an Infiniti sedan, which also was caught on camera.

Authorities released to the media surveillance images from within the bank that depict a slim Asian male wearing a black knit cap, sunglasses, black jacket and gloves and yellow scarf. The suspect is caught on camera showing a teller a card with handwriting on it.

On Dec. 28, a Morris County Probation Department employee contacted authorities to report that the suspect caught on camera appeared to be Larry Zhou, according to the affidavit. Police learned that Zhou is the registered owner of a black 2011 Infiniti and they obtained a photograph of Zhou that appeared to be the same man captured in surveillance images.

That evening, police went to a site in Livingston where they made contact with Zhou and found his 2011 Infiniti M37. He allegedly admitted that he had been driving that car on Route 53 in Denville the day of the bank robbery. The affidavit did not say that Zhou admitted to being inside TD Bank.

Police obtained a warrant to search Zhou's apartment in Morris Plains and retrieved a black knit cap, sunglasses, black jacket, shoes and a black glove -- items the robber is seen wearing on tape, the affidavit said.

Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@njpressmedia.com.