Tynan: Joliet Rocker, Bank Robber Hospitalized At St. Joe's

JOLIET, IL — Back on March 12, Joliet rocker turned First Midwest Bank robber Tom Tynan learned he would be sentenced to 36 months in a federal penitentiary. The federal judge gave the 61-year-old Joliet man until 2 p.m. May 28 to surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons.

Back on June 23, 2020, Tynan pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery.

Then last week, just days before Tynan was supposed to become a federal prisoner for the next three years, his court-appointed federal public defender filed a motion convincing the judge to delay Tynan's prison surrender until June 28.

In last week's court motion, Johanna M. Christiansen, an assistant federal public defender in Peoria, submitted the following information to show why Tynan should not have to begin serving his federal prison sentence May 28:

May 19: Tynan informed his public defender that he visited his primary care doctor, Dr. Shahid Masood, the previous day because he was having chest pains and an irregular heartbeat. His blood pressure at that time was 210/108. The doctor told Tynan to rest and report for further medical testing on May 24.

May 24: Tynan was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph’s hospital because he was again having chest pains, and he had an elevated blood pressure of 245/145. He was admitted to the Joliet hospital later that day for further medical testing.

May 25: Tynan's public defender spoke with Dr. Masood and the doctor was not able to say when Tynan would be released from St. Joe's hospital because the medical staff were awaiting the cardiologist’s evaluation and recommendation for his treatment.

"As noted in the pre-sentence investigation report, Mr. Tynan has a history of high blood pressure and has routinely taken medication to treat it," Tynan's lawyer stated in last week's motion. "Counsel has not received documentation from the hospital, Dr. Masood, or the cardiologist yet because the situation is changing rapidly."

Tynan's public defender stated that she spoke with Assistant United States Attorney Corey Rubenstein and pretrial services officer Christa Green and both agreed with a 30-day extension for Tynan's reporting to federal prison.

At 9:29 a.m., on Sept. 19, 2019, the 59-year-old Tyran rolled up to Joliet's First Midwest Bank driving his Mercedes-Benz SUV. He walked into the bank at 1415 West Jefferson St. wearing sunglasses and proceeded to rob the bank of $938, according to federal prosecutors.

Prosecutors said Tynan entered Joliet's First Midwest Bank and used intimidation to take the $938 from the bank employees. He approached a bank teller and gave her a manila folder containing a note demanding "$100s, $50s, $20s, no dye packs you have 45 seconds."

The bank teller found $938 from her drawer and gave it to Tynan "at which point he left the bank. After leaving the bank, the defendant drove away in his black Mercedes-Benz SUV," the plea agreement outlined.

By nighttime, Joliet police had him in custody. At the time of the crime, Tynan lived in the 2600 block of Par Four Lane, which is close to the First Midwest Bank he chose to rob.

The Joliet classic rocker had performed at various rock concerts and festivals in the Chicago region, and Tynan even performed at the Illinois State Fair.

At the time of his arrest, Tynan was slated to perform at the Grundy County Cornfest in Morris. But with Tynan in the slammer and all the negative publicity that his bank robbery arrest generated, the Cornfest canceled Tynan's performance.