Law Enforcement Agencies Announce the Arrest of a Serial Bank Robber
| FBI Boston February 14, 2011 |
In a joint investigation, the Brookline Police Department (Massachusetts), South Attleboro Police Department (Massachusetts), Seekonk Police Department (Massachusetts), Pawtucket Police Department (Rhode Island), Rhode Island State Police Violent Fugitive Task Force, United States Marshals Service, and the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force announce the arrest of Thomas J. Flannery, date of birth 02/08/1975, for bank robbery.
Flannery was arrested at approximately 10:30 a.m. on February 14, 2010, at a hotel in downtown Providence, RI shortly after allegedly robbing the Pawtucket Credit Union in Pawtucket, RI. He was initially arrested based on a warrant issued in Massachusetts for prior robberies. Subsequently, he was charged for the Pawtucket Credit Union robbery by the Rhode Island United States Attorney for violating 18 USC 2013 (a) bank robbery.
Law enforcement agencies from Massachusetts and Rhode Island had been actively seeking to locate Mr. Flannery after state of Massachusetts arrest warrants were obtained last week for robberies he allegedly conducted in Brookline, Massachusetts and South Attleboro, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts state arrest warrants related to three robberies in Brookline and one in South Attleboro. In Brookline, the first alleged robbery occurred on January 26, 2011, when a Citizens Bank branch was robbed. A second one occurred on February 4, 2011, at a Sovereign Bank branch, and a third robbery took place on February 7, 2011, when a Brookline Bank branch was robbed. In South Attleboro, the alleged robbery took place on February, 10, 2011, at a Citizens Bank branch.
After the arrest, Mr. Flannery was initially transported to the Pawtucket Police Department, where he was fingerprinted and photographed in relation to the Massachusetts warrants. Later, he was transported to the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, where he made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond. The defendant was ordered detained.
Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaint in this case contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.