A Spartanburg man is accused of robbing a bank and leading officers on a high speed chase that ended with him crashing his motorcycle in Union County.

John Paul Snelgrove, 38, was taken into custody by Pacolet Police Officer Wayne Mills on the Jerusalem Road less than 30 minutes after the robbery occurred at Regions Bank on 235 South Pine St. across from Wendy’s. Investigative Lt. Ron Cantrell with the Spartanburg Public Safety Department said Snelgrove is being held in jail in Spartanburg on an armed robbery charge but he likely will be indicted on a federal bank robbery charge Monday. Snelgrove told officers he is homeless; his driver’s license listed his parents’ address in Spartanburg. He was not injured in the motorcycle crash.

Officers were called to the bank around 10:10 a.m. They were advised that a white man wearing a black ski mask and black pants had pulled a black knife from the front of his shirt.

“He told the clerk, ‘You know what this is,’” Cantrell said. “He had brought his own bag and he told her to fill it up with money and don’t put a dye pack in. The clerk complied with the request.”

There were no customers in the bank at the time of the robbery. Snelgrove left with $133, all of which was recovered.

Snelgrove got on a motorcycle and fled toward Converse Heights. Officers were radioed to be on the lookout for him. An investigator with public safety spotted him near Woodburn Road and Country Club Road.

“He notified communications and they got in touch with the sheriff’s office and Pacolet Police,” Cantrell said.

Snelgrove was spotted at different locations on the south side of Spartanburg County. About 27 minutes after the robbery he was seen in Pacolet and a chase ensued down the Jerusalem Road.

Cantrell thanked the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the Highway Patrol and the Pacolet Police for their assistance in the case.

“Everybody did a good job communicating,” he said. “We were fortunate to make an arrest so quickly.”