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The bank robberies happened at TD Bank in Worcester and East Boston Savings Bank in Revere.
Samuel Jose Baptista, 27, of Boston, was sentenced on Thursday, Oct. 29, to prison as well as restitution of the money stolen from the banks - about $30,000 - and two years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts.
Baptista pleaded guilty to charges associated with the robberies in February.
The robberies took place in October of 2019.
On Oct. 20, 2019, Baptista entered the Worcester bank branch and informed the tellers “this is a robbery” and demanded $10,000. If the tellers didn’t comply within five minutes, Baptista said he had a bomb in his backpack that he would detonate, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He was given the cash.
On Oct. 26, 2019, Baptista entered a Revere bank branch and again used the threat of a bomb to extract money from tellers. This time, Baptista stole $20,000, the U .S.. Attorney’s O office said.
Using tips from eyewitnesses, police tracked the taxicab Baptista hopped into following the robbery on Oct. 26, 2019, and found it parked outside the Northgate Shopping Center. Police found Baptista inside and arrested him, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The investigation and prosecution of Baptista were conducted by the U.S. ATtorney’s Office, Massachusetts, FBI, as well as Worcester and Revere police.
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