A felon from Arizona who moved to Verona about seven months ago was charged Thursday with 10 robberies in Madison, and he is wanted in Illinois on another one.

Among the crimes is the Aug. 18 robbery at the fundraising office of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, according to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court.

Huk O. Banwell, 37, could also face more charges in Dane County, Assistant District Attorney Mike Verveer said during a court appearance for Banwell, who was ordered jailed on $55,000 bail. Banwell is also wanted by police in Deerfield, Ill., in the robbery of a Red Roof Inn.

According to the complaint, Banwell was charged with 10 robberies between Aug. 9 and Aug. 18, six of them at motels. Four of the robberies occurred on Aug. 18.

In all, Banwell is charged with four counts of armed robbery, four counts of robbery with threat of force and two counts of robbery with use of force. He is also charged with one count of strangulation for allegedly squeezing the neck of a clerk at the Holiday Inn Express, 722 John Nolen Drive, during a robbery there on Aug. 9.

Banwell is accused of brandishing a knife in four of the robberies, including the Holiday Inn robbery, according to the complaint. Several of the robberies were caught on videotape.

Assistant Public Defender Catherine Dorl, appearing with Banwell, asked that he be freed without bail because he had been held since Aug. 18 without being formally charged with a crime.

"That is an unreasonable length of time to wait for a criminal complaint," Dorl said. "There is no reason it takes 10 days to file charges on him."

But Court Commissioner Todd Meurer said while he shared Dorl's concern, he said the district attorney's office is woefully understaffed, which may have contributed to the delay. It's a problem that has occurred from time to time, he said.

In the meantime, Meurer said, charges have been filed so releasing Banwell without bail would not be appropriate.