The eight-year search for a man charged with the daring robbery of the Dowling Park Barnett/Nations Bank May 18, 1998 while allegedly telling those inside the bank he had a bomb strapped to his chest ended last week with the arrest of Kenneth Scott “Speedy” Raulerson in Putnam County.

A police dog named Saber is credited with nailing Raulerson June 1 when turned loose, holding Raulerson on the ground and biting him in the stomach before officers could subdue Raulerson. Law enforcement believed Raulerson might try to kill anyone who tried to take him to jail and went prepared.

Raulerson, now 42, was arrested on a Suwannee County warrant in a joint operation conducted by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Drug and Vice Unit, the United States Marshals Service and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office, according to Putnam Sheriff’s Office Major Keith Reddick. Raulerson was brought back to the Suwannee County Jail Monday, June 5, where he will be arraigned and tried on two counts of robbery while armed with a destructive device, four counts of kidnapping while armed, burglary while armed, making or possessing a destructive device, two counts of grand theft, burglary and petty theft.

The arrest came at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday, June 1 on Motes Road in Francis in Putnam County, according to Reddick.

Reddick said the Putnam County chapter of the operation began when the U.S. Marshals Service contacted Lt. John Merchant, supervisor of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Drug and Vice Unit, on Wednesday, May 31. The Marshals had tracked Raulerson to Putnam County where he was living under an alias at 105 Gaylord Street in Interlachen, and doing tree removal type work. With the help of an undercover operative, arrangements were made to meet Raulerson at a residence under the guise of having him give an estimate for some tree work. When he arrived with his 21-year-old son Justin Raulerson, who also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest for violation of probation of an Osceola County charge of petty theft, a contingency of detectives and Marshals were waiting for Raulerson. Reddick said both Raulersons exhibited some resistance while being arrested, but were ultimately arrested with the assistance of Putnam County Sheriff’s Canine Deputy Alex Bailey and his partner Saber.

After being treated at Putnam Community Hospital for their injuries, both men were booked into the Putnam County Jail without benefit of bond, Reddick said.

The Dowling Park robbery came at 9 a.m. May 18, 1998 when two female bank employees opened the bank for business that morning and were immediately held up by two men. Two customers walked into the robbery and became victims also, law enforcement officers said. Thousands of dollars were taken in the robbery where one of the men, believed to be Raulerson, then 34, wore a pinstriped tuxedo type suit and an auburn red wig resembling the one worn by the Joker in the Batman and Robin series. This man indicated to those in the bank that he had an explosive device strapped to his chest. Both tellers and the customers were forced into the bank’s vault and the door was closed before the two men left the bank, officers said at the time.

Meanwhile, a bomb threat had been called in to Suwannee High School at about the same time the robbery took place, causing officers to believe the bomb threat was a ploy to get officers into Live Oak so the robbery could take place without interference and the get-a-way could be accomplished.

A car stolen the night before from Easy Auto in Live Oak and parked overnight at the Suwannee River was used in the bank heist, officers said. A boat and motor stolen from a nearby home several days earlier was believed used for the get-a-way by water after the stolen car was ditched in bushes near the river.

Three men were arrested, charged and sentenced in the case, but Raulerson had eluded capture until now.

Raulerson is originally from Levy County.

Three others already have been arrested, charged and sentenced in the case. A girlfriend of Raulerson’s was arrested in Calhoun County in 2000 after officers converged on his camper trailer there but missed Raulerson. At that site officers found a book they believed Raulerson was writing about his exploits.