Boston Man Convicted in Three Armed Bank Robberies
| U.S. Attorney’s Office March 15, 2012 |
BOSTON—A Boston man was convicted today in federal court for committing three armed bank robberies of the Cambridge Trust Company.
Patrick M. Cannon, 57, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to three counts of armed bank robbery.
Had the case proceeded to trial, the government’s evidence would have proven that on August 11, 2011, a masked and armed individual, dressed in a white graduation gown, entered the Cambridge Trust Company located at 65 Beacon Street in Boston. Once inside the bank, the individual brandished a black semi-automatic handgun and ordered the tellers to empty their cash drawers. The bank tellers inserted a GPS tracking device into the money provided to the robber. After the robber left the bank, he was observed entering a black Cadillac SUV. The GPS tracking pack was activated and provided law enforcement with real-time locations as he fled throughout the city.
A short time later, the SUV was located, abandoned in the Kenmore Square area. The FBI focused their attention in this area and eventually came upon a green Plymouth with a Vermont registration plate which was giving off hits from the GPS. The vehicle was searched, and items of evidentiary value, including proceeds from the bank and the GPS tracking device, were recovered. The owner of the vehicle was identified and indicated that he had loaned the vehicle to his brother, Patrick Cannon. Cannon was located a short time later and was taken into custody where he admitted to robbing the bank earlier that day. During further questioning, Cannon admitted he was the same individual who had robbed the same bank on May 14 and June 2, 2011.
Judge Woodlock scheduled sentencing for June 19, 2012. Cannon faces up to 25 years in prison on each count to be followed by five years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $30,789.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Ortiz’s Major Crime Unit.