Tewksbury Police Foil Armed Bank Robbery, Officials Say

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury police arrested two men Thursday on charges of attempted masked armed bank robbery, they announced late Friday. The department had received information from the FBI Bank Robbery Task Force that Michael Moran, 40, of Somerville was wanted for robbery and was in the area. Police found and arrested Moran and Mark Richards, 45, of Tewksbury.

Moran was charged with attempt to commit a crime (armed bank robbery, while masked), conspiracy, 2 counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, subsequent offense (knife and ice pick) and for having a warrant out of Medford for unarmed robbery. Richards was charged with attempt to commit a crime (armed bank robbery, while masked) and conspiracy.

The FBI told the department that Moran should be "considered armed and dangerous." Police said a detective found Moran in a car putting on a "scream type Halloween mask," and when police responded both Moran and Richards, the driver, were arrested, before a robbery occurred.

A knife and an ice pick were also found in the vehicle.