Last Updated: 4:42 p.m.
Lakhram Mahadeo is an immigrant from South America, a 2005 Flagler Palm Coast High School Graduate, a U.S. Army veteran and a Realtor who worked with Palm West Realty and described Palm Coast as “America’s best kept secret.” (He did not renew his Realtor’s license in December.)
Wednesday afternoon, Mahadeo, 26, a resident of 10 Waystone Place in Palm Coast, was arrested at his home and charged with the so-called Iron Man bank robbery that took place at the Wells Fargo branch at 836 Belle Terre Parkway on June 20.
He confessed to police that he used a gun he had from the army, and a mask he bought at Walmart, to commit the robbery after his girlfriend threw him out of their house.
The suspect had been described as as short, about 5’4”, wearing a tan flight suit, tan boots, a black balaclava and the Iron Man mask, all of it caught on surveillance video. He’d entered the bank with a semi-automatic handgun and ordered everyone to the floor as he climbed on the counter and demanded money. He got away with $2,300, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
He was seen driving off in a maroon Honda Accord. The sheriff’s office does not say whether the license tag was eventually deciphered. But investigators got access to several surveillance cameras, possibly including red-light camera video. Mahadeo owns a maroon Accord, or at least did until July 22. That day, the Accord was repossessed.
Mahadeo had been having financial difficulties.
The repossession appears to have played a key role in unraveling the case for detectives.
At 5 p.m. Wednesday, detectives and deputies went to Mahadeo’s home on Wellstone Place, where he was with his girlfriend, Aygul Ryszhanova (the couple recently had a baby). Ryszhanova answered the door. Mahadeo was on the back patio working on his motorcycle. Cops were let in. While speaking with Mahadeo, he said he knew about the bank robbery at Wells Fargo, according to his arrest report. He then accompanied the cops to the sheriff’s Investigative Services Division. He agreed to speak without an attorney.
And he said: “I did it.”
Mahadeo asked if he could finish what he was doing and said he was willing to go to the Investigative Services Division to speak with detectives.
He said he still had the gun, jumpsuit and boots used in the robbery. He showed one of the investigators where the gun was stored, allowing the detective to retrieve it. In the garage, Mahadeo turned over the tan jumpsuit and boots. The interview then moved to the sheriff’s office, where he was read his Miranda rights.
There, according to his arrest report, Mahadeo said he’d been planning the bank robbery for a while, but that he initially had planned to rob the BB&T Bank in St. Augustine. He bought the Iron Man Mask at the Wal-Mart in Ormond Beach, and had the jumpsuit and gloves from a job he worked in Oklahoma. The balaclava and boots, as with the gun, he had from his time in the Army.
On June 20, he got into an argument with Ryszhanova, who kicked him out of their house, then at 8 Rymshaw Place. Mahadeo said he gathered most of his clothing and packed it into his Honda Accord and left the house, driving west on Rymfire Drive. He turned onto Red Mill, changed into the jumpsuit, boots, balaclava, goggles and Iron Man mask, and changed his license plate to a tag he’d stolen from the B-Section in Palm Coast.
He then described to investigators the exact route he took and the actions he carried out inside of the bank.
When he left the bank, he went to Flagler Estates, site of a growing number of suspicious and more grave cases of late, where he changed. He then left the state, but returned shortly after, only to again leave the state and return.
Mahadeo was charged with armed robbery and grand theft and taken to the Flagler County jail, where he’s being held on $100,000 bond. If it results in a conviction, the first-degree felony charge carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison.
“After leaving South America when I was thirteen,” he wrote on his Facebook page in May, “my family and I settled here because of the similar climate. I attended Indian Trails Middle School and Flagler Palm Coast High School (class of 2005). During the construction boom, I worked with Cole Electric; wiring new construction homes in Flagler County, times were truly good. Along with the rest of the country, Palm Coast went through a dark period and many including myself had to move to find work. With the recovery in full swing, people are working and moving back to Florida. The reasons that make this area appealing to many have increased in the past few years and will continue to bring people seeking year round sunshine, the beach, miles of bike path and hiking trails, cultural diversity, shopping, and dining.”
He was hopeful about the upswing in the housing industry, and declared that “America’s best kept secret is out.”
Until Wednesday, the worst on Mahadeo’s record were a few traffic tickets.
anonymous says
I always thought Lak was a cool kid. Unfortunately like some many other kids young people he thought money, fast cars and motorcycles are all the only things one needs to be successful – they forget common sense and true street smarts should come first.
RHWeir says
A realtor, oh, now that’s a hoot! Honesty+realtor in Palm Coast seems to=0. The realtor we bought our house from stated point blank when asked if there are any renters in the neighborhood; no, there are no renters in this neighborhood. We bought the home, promptly found out that there are many renters in the neighborhood and to rub salt into the wound, the realtor who lives in the neighborhood, then rented her home too! Better yet, our original realtor was arrested for assault and theft! Realtor robbing a bank, his car repossessed, oh, how Palm Coasty.
NortonSmitty says
Q- What do you call a person who leaves Real Estate to become a Bank Robber? A- Social Climber.
Charles Gardner says
Oh, that hurt!
Anonymous says
My fiancee and I were about to rent a home from David Shipman…..the realtor arrested a few days ago for DUI, causing a crash, and providing false identification to law enforcement. He actually thought it was funny when he handed the Deputy an insurance card with his father’s name on it, while pretending to be his father!
I am beginning to worry about how desperate these realtors are becoming during this totally crap real estate market!
Sad says
Sounds like this young guy was trying to make an honest living but got pegged in the financial downturn. No work wiring houses so he gets a real estate license. Now a child to support and little to no income – he finally snapped. Once the car was repossessed – that was it. After all, how can a realtor make any money without a car?
And the federal government just keeps saying things are getting better. They keep printing money at the tune of 1 trillion dollars a year. And the zombie stock market keeps going up despite the poor economic data and crumbling of towns and cities. All indications are there is more of this to come.
Ron says
Oh, I see… so it’s the government’s fault that this knucklehead robbed a bank!
Yeah… right.
TimesUp says
Yep, actually that statement is CORRECT ! And if things don’t change REAL SOON, America will see not only an increase in Bank robberies but Gang Mob robberies were many people at one time hit a place. When you have a government that DOES NOT care about the people, then soon you will have a people who DO NOT care about the government !!!!!!!
NortonSmitty says
Just like when the Banksters pulled this scam last in the ’30’s. Dillinger, Boonie & Clyde and Baby Faced Nelson all became hero’s to the people who had been ripped off. With Wells Fargo’s track record of billions in fraudulent forclosures, I may have a new favorite Realtor.
Here’s just one story: http://www.examiner.com/article/victims-of-wells-fargo-mortgage-fraud-speak-out-story-2
Or pick your own:https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Wells+Fargo+morgage+fraud
Mike says
@ Times up, the problem is too many people rely on the government for their problems, welfare and food stamps are at an all time high. The problem lies in the system, if you go get a job (minimum wage) you loose your benefits and make less money then if you just stayed on GOVT assistance. There needs to be a better way to wean people off welfare rather than just throw them off when they find a job making less then they currently receive. Maybe they should still have partial assistance to help cover costs and keep them above the poverty line, it costs the taxpayers less and the person gets a real chance to make ends meet.
Tiller says
Correct statement…..Its the governments fault ~~~ Its all Obama’s fault !!!! Wait until you have 13 bank robberies a month because no one can FEED their children.
Geezer says
He belongs to the National Association of Realtors.
He’s a quasi-electrician.
He’s a U.S. Army veteran. (thank you)
He held up Wells Fargo.
HE IS IRON MAN!
I think that being a REALTOR® was his only offence.
Charles Gardner says
Oh, that hurt!
Honora Giumenta says
FYI – he is NOT a REALTOR .
Honora Giumenta
2013 President Flagler County Association of REALTORS
Marissa says
The best kept secret is out. Come and live in “Compost”. We have no jobs but you can live off the sun all year round.
I don't know says
The suspect doesn’t look to be as heavy in the pictures shown in the story title as is in the security camera footage. Is this really the samer person? How did authorities make the connection from the security and red light video to the arrest? I hope they have the right guy and aren’t just trying to tag someone with the crime to call it a crime solved.
Jennifer Lopez says
what a joke this place is ?
A.S.F. says
Sounds like, if he couldn’t succeed in a big way, he was going to fail in a big way.
RHWeir says
There is never an excuse for robbing a bank or any other crime for that matter but, I can see the man was desperate. The economy does need to turn around in a hurry. At this point, it’s on Obama’s watch. W really screwed but the current administration has done little to help it. The man is caught up in minor personal issues and pet peeves.
anon says
well…he thought about it. and acted upon it. he obviously planned ahead of time, knowing that if or when he gets caught, he would go to federal prison, which is supposedly better and more privileges to the inmates. it is a federal offense. he tried, knowing his consequence….
Sherry Epley says
How Outrageous that the Fox Zombies are at it again. I got an eye lash in my eye. . . soooo it must be President Obama’s fault. I can’t help but wonder what your life was like when Bush was in office. . . I suppose everything was just wonderful then. . . Geez!!!!
How sad says
Very sad..I’ve met this guy and his fiancée. They recently had a child. His mother is head of nursing at a prestigious nursing home. What a tragedy….life sometimes imitates art. Not that I’m condoning his actions, but I agree, the big banks are the real robbers here. It was their fraudulent lending practices that resulted in the collapse of the housing/building/real estate industries. Countless millions lost countless millions. And poverty, rather than money, does trickle down. Palm Coast was paradise 10 years ago. Wonder if this guy would’ve done what he did if the real estate market hadn’t collapsed. We’ll never know. We do know that his life is completely messed up for robbing a couple thousand, and his fiancée’s, child’s and mom’s lives will be adversely affected too, but the big financial institutions got away with robbing billions! And how about companies like Halliburton? And how about the suitcases of cash we taxpayers have to hand deliver to our fake “friend” Hamid Karzai every week? Sheesh! Don’t get me started!
A.S.F. says
…So much for the Republican ideal of individual personal responsibility (especially if the criminal act was committted by someone you know.)
vicki says
FYI…… even good mothers cannot control their kids.this young man broke the law… planned it…in my book you do the crime-you do the time. everyone stop blaming everything & everyone else.stop the lame excuses for this wrongdoing.Thank God, he didn’t shoot anyone.
RHWeir says
Realtor’s can be very similar to car salesman. Not all realtor’s are dishonest, not all car sales men are dishonest, but the trades sure do attract a lot of dishonesty. It seems worse in Palm Coast with realtors than my other experiences with realtors. Regarding the economy, when we leave the area and this part of the state and travel, we have noticed over the last several years the economy is much better. I have checked property values in other areas, up north, and property values are coming back or back and sales way up. As far as the long term unemployed here, if someone is of working age and is long term unemployed, they can (a) commute to the Jax area (b) leave the area and find employment elsewhere. The jobs are not going to suddenly appear here. This is a retirement area with service and some professional, as in medical jobs.There is never an excuse to commit a crime.