Dover Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery

            CONCORD – Jose Rivera-Morales, 31, of Dover, pleaded guilty in federal court to bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 23, 2018, Jose Rivera-Morales walked into the Kennebunk Savings Bank in Dover and gave a teller a note demanding money.  Rivera-Morales told the teller “not to be stupid” and displayed a gun, later determined to be an airsoft BB gun.   The teller gave Rivera-Morales a quantity of United States currency.  A K-9 unit tracked Rivera-Morales to a residence not far from the bank and he was apprehended soon after.  Images from the bank surveillance videos were broadcast on local news outlets and distributed via social media, leading to the positive identification of Rivera-Morales.

            Rivera-Morales is scheduled to be sentenced on January 3, 2019.

            “Bank robberies are violent crimes that often can jeopardize the safety of bank employees, customers, and other members of the community,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with the law enforcement community to combat violent crimes such as bank robberies.  By combatting violent crime, our goal is ensure that the citizens of the Granite State feel safe in their local communities.”      

            This matter was investigated by the Dover Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.

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