Notorious criminal robbed bank in Drayton 35 years ago

  • A police car is parked across from Drayton State Bank after it was robbed on Feb. 19. 1987. Contributed / State Historical Society of North Dakota
    A police car is parked across from Drayton State Bank after it was robbed on Feb. 19. 1987. Contributed / State Historical Society of North Dakota
  • Kelly Dakken, president of the Drayton State Bank in 1987. Contributed / Shauna Dakken
    Kelly Dakken, president of the Drayton State Bank in 1987. Contributed / Shauna Dakken
    FARGO — It was 35 years ago Saturday, Feb. 19, that a bizarre bank robbery orchestrated by a notorious criminal took place in an unlikely location. That location was Drayton, North Dakota. The notorious criminal was Thomas Harrelson, 29, who was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List. Harrelson, an expert with firearms and explosives, was also a member of “Aryan Nations,” a white s...

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