Melrose Eastern Bank Branch Robbed, FBI Believes Same Man Robbed 4 Other Banks

(Editor's note: This article was updated on Friday at 2:52 p.m. with additional details from the FBI.)

at 441 Main St. in Melrose was robbed on Thursday by a man that the FBI believes has robbed four other banks in the region in the past three weeks, an agency spokesman said.

Chief Mike Lyle said on Friday afternoon that standard practice is local police departments, the Massachusetts State Police and FBI are "always involved" in all bank robbery cases.

Regarding Thursday's robbery in Melrose, Lyle said. "All I know is that nobody was injured at the incident and we’re still cooperating with the State Police and FBI and the agent in charge. That’s all we have right now. We’re still looking at photos and a number of things. This is an active investigation." He declined to provide any further details about the robbery.

Special Agent Greg Comcowich, FBI Boston media coordinator, told Melrose Patch that the agency believes yesterday's robbery in Melrose is related to recent bank robberies in Reading, Everett, Lynnfield and Salem. 

"The FBI believes it’s the same guy," Comcowich said.

The bank robberies currently under investigation are:

• April 25, 2011: TD Bank north, 470 Main St., Reading, MA
• May 3, 2011 East Boston Savings Bank, 1755 Revere Beach Parkway, Everett, MA
• May 9, 2011: Eastern Bank, 771 Salem St., Lynnfield, MA
• May 15, 2011: TD Bank North, 600 Loring Ave., Salem, MA
• May 19, 2011: Eastern Bank, 441 Main St., Melrose, MA

According to the FBI, during each of the robberies, the suspect gave a written note to the teller that demanded money and threatened the teller with harm should the teller not comply. After receiving the money, the robber fled on foot.

The robber is a white man, approximately 25-30 years old, between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10, weighing approximately 150-170 pounds, the FBI said. He has brown hair, is unshaven and has worn a goatee in some of the robberies. The alleged robber also has a tattoo with what appears to be cursive writing on the right side of his neck.

The FBI and Massachusetts Bankers Association Tip Program are offering a combined $5,000 reward for information leading to the charging and arrest of this robber. Anyone with information regarding these robberies is asked to call the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force at (617) 742-5533 or the police departments in Melrose, Reading, Everett, Lynnfield and Salem.