Dad Claims He Robbed Credit Union to Pay for Daughter's Cancer Treatments

A Michigan father held on bank robbery charges claims he had few options left to cover the cost of his daughter’s chemotherapy after his insurance refused to cover the cancer treatments.

Brian Randolph, 23, of Wixom, is accused of robbing the Vibe Credit Union in South Lyon on Aug. 12. He allegedly entered the credit union building and handed a teller a note demanding money, South Lyon police said. The note claimed a shotgun was hidden in his clothes but he never displayed a firearm, but police told ABC News that he didn’t bring a gun with him.

Randolph allegedly left the credit union with $8,100 cash.

Randolph ia being held in the Oakland County Jail on $500,000 bond. On Wednesday, he appeared briefly in court on armed robbery and bank robbery charges that could land him in prison for life.

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Randolph’s girlfriend, Asia Dupree, the mother of their 1-year-old daughter, Brialynn, told WXYZ-TV the robbery was “an act of desperation.” The toddler is battling retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer that primarily affects young children.

“I guess it was desperation,” Dupree told the TV station. “Time was ticking right before her appointment came up.

“I’m not sure what he was thinking at that point, but at the end of the day the only thing I can think about is him trying to take care of his child,” she said.

Each treatment costs thousands of dollars, but the insurance company reportedly said proper paperwork hadn’t been filed, according to news reports.

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South Lyon Police Department Lt. Chris Sovik told the Detroit Free Press that though he sympathizes with Randolph’s reported motive, it’s not a defense.

“You want to do everything you can to protect your daughter,” Sovik said. “But there are a lot of fathers whose daughters have cancer as well, and you don’t see them out there robbing banks all the time.”

Authorities say items recovered from the vehicle Randolph was driving may not support his altruistic claim. Among items seized as evidence were a Gucci bag, high-end clothing items and a pair of shoes, all recently purchased, and $3,100.

Randolph was arrested two days after the robbery after police posted surveillance photos on Facebook.