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Press Release

Poughkeepsie Man Convicted of Robbing a Credit Union in Hinsdale, New Hampshire

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Hampshire

          CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, a federal jury found Joseph M. Crocco, 42, of Poughkeepsie, New York, guilty of robbing a credit union after a two-day trial.        

          Evidence presented at trial showed that on December 21, 2017, the defendant entered the Service Credit Union branch located in the Walmart on Brattleboro Road in Hinsdale, New Hampshire.  He approached a teller and gave her two notes.  He then told her that he had a bomb strapped to his body and she had sixty seconds to comply with his demands.  The teller gave him approximately $2,700 and he fled the store.  Investigation by the New Hampshire State Police and the Hinsdale Police Department ultimately traced the defendant to Poughkeepsie where detectives from the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department identified the defendant in images taken from the credit union’s security cameras.        

          Crocco will be sentenced on January 3, 2019.

          “Robberies of banks and credit unions are violent and dangerous crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “In order to protect public safety, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to prosecute these crimes and ensure that our community is safe.  I want to thank the law enforcement agencies who participated in this investigation.  Their excellent cooperation resulted in the successful prosecution of this defendant.”

          “By threatening to blow himself up and instilling unnecessary fear in the tellers, Mr. Crocco jeopardized the safety of bank employees, customers, and other members of the community,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Boston Division.  “The FBI is grateful for the strong partnerships we share with our law enforcement partners who worked collaboratively to bring this man to justice. We’d also like to thank the jurors for their service, and for returning a guilty verdict in this case.”

          This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hinsdale Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Brattleboro, Vermont Police Department, and the City of Poughkeepsie, New York Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Dronzek and Charles Rombeau.

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Updated September 26, 2018

Topic
Violent Crime
Press Release Number: 18-184