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Jalonni Shabazz, 40, of Jamaica Plain, was linked to the May 2 robbery of the TD Bank branch at Harvard Square after police found his DNA on a Brooklyn Dodgers hat the robber wore discarded near the scene, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said on Friday, Oct. 7. Shabazz was previously known as Jalonni Tucker.
Police said Shabazz walked into the Massachusetts Avenue bank branch with a surgical mask over his face and handed the teller a note that read "All of the Money — No Dye packs — or alarms." To clear up any confusion, Shabazz reportedly said, "this is a robbery, honey," the prosecutor said.
The teller handed him $580 in cash, but the stack of bills had a hidden GPS device in it, according to court records, per MassLive. The robber noticed the tracker and said, "Honey, I told you no bait money." He left it behind and ran away with $2,200, according to the records.
Along with the DNA on the hat's band, the security video was a big help to investigators. They were able to tie Shabazz to the robbery through the suspect's tattoos, clothing, and hair, the prosecutor said.
A judge sentenced Shabazz to four years in prison after his 2017 convictions, officials said. It's unclear when authorities released him on parole.
He faces 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine if he's convicted of the Cambridge bank robbery, the prosecutor's office said.
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