Bank manager pleads guilty to starting vault fire

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A former assistant manager at an Indianapolis bank has pleaded guilty to setting fire to the bank vault in an attempt to cover his thefts.

Dwayne Roberts entered a guilty plea Tuesday to charges of arson and theft.

Investigators said Roberts had been taking money from the Fifth Third bank branch at 56th and Georgetown Road on the northwest side for months and was trying to cover his tracks.

Sentencing for Roberts has been set for December 15 at 2:30 p.m.

Around closing time on May 6, fire crews were called to the bank to put out a fire. Soon after, arson investigators started asking questions.

"A box of cash had been set on fire and bank employees were kind of like, ‘This is not how we keep our cash here’," said IMPD Sgt. Matthew Mount.

Metro police said security video showed Roberts apparently set the fire himself.

Police said Roberts hoped burning some of the bank's money would cover up how much cash he had allegedly taken from the vault. They said as he was burning the money, he dropped his keys. The slip up made him unable to lock the doors on the way out, as he normally would at the end of the day. Police said that's why Roberts had to call 911.