PHOENIX -- A man accused of robbing seven Phoenix banks as the "Blue Collar Bandit" was set free Wednesday afternoon after the U.S. Attorney dropped all the charges against him, less than 24 hours after 5 Investigates aired a story about what appeared to be an ironclad alibi.

"I was just shocked, I couldn't believe the news and what I had to go through," said Chris Evans in an exclusive interview with CBS 5 News just hours after he was released from custody.

Not many of us can know the hell he has experienced over the last two weeks, wrongly imprisoned, he says, by the FBI.

On Wednesday night on the telephone, before he had a chance to reunite with his fiancee, he said he wasn't sure this day would come.

"At times I had some doubts. I couldn't believe this was happening. I didn't think this was going to happen, but someone was looking out for me," said Evans.

On Dec. 9, someone anonymously called the FBI saying Evans was the "Blue Collar Bandit," a crook who robbed seven different banks in the Phoenix area in the span of two months. Bank tellers even picked him out of a lineup.

He said he saw no resemblance between him and a picture of the robber.

"Not at all, I thought I looked totally different," Evans said.

But as CBS 5 News first reported Tuesday night, Evans has two solid alibis: Kristin McKinney, his fiancee, who says she was with him in another state, and his employer, whose handprint recognition sign-in system shows clearly that Evans was in Albuquerque when the crimes were being committed in Arizona.

Evans is just now learning how hard his loved ones fought for his freedom.

"I talked to Kristen after a couple of days, and I was amazed at what they had done to get me out of this," said Evans.

Now, he has only one plan for the holidays: spend every moment with his family.

"Without leaving their side, I just can't wait to see them. Just relaxing and taking one day at a time," said Evans.