'Incognito Bandit' Bank Robber Arrested Trying To Leave For South Africa

MASSACHUSETTS — The man dubbed the “Incognito Bandit” who allegedly robbed 16 banks in the MetroWest and Greater Boston area was arrested on Friday evening at Dulles International Airport in Virginia as he attempted to board an outbound flight to South Africa.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts said that Albert Taderera, 36, of Brighton, was charged by criminal complaint with the Oct. 7, 2016, armed robbery of a branch of the TD Bank in Wayland. Taderera is scheduled to appear in the U.S. District Court for the District of Eastern Virginia on Monday, March 27.

Between February 2015 and March 2017, 16 banks were robbed in the Metro-West and Greater Boston areas, according to court documents. In most of these robberies, the robber was disguised in a dark hooded sweatshirt, dark face mask/sunglasses covering his face, dark gloves and dark clothing. Also, in each of the robberies, he went inside and demanded the money and in most cases, pulled out a black, semi-automatic handgun.

All of the robberies occurred in suburban settings where banks were freestanding and featured adjacent wooded areas or foliage, said the US attorney. In many, witnesses saw the robber take off into the woods after the robbery, and sometimes leave in a black BMW sedan. Based on these similarities, the FBI believed that the individual driving the black BMW was responsible for the robberies.

The following are descriptions provided by the U.S. District Attorney:

• On March 16, 2017, the Concord Police observed a black BMW sedan sitting outside a local bank. They also noted that Taderera fit the general description of the individual responsible for the 16 robberies. Police determined that the registration of the BMW was revoked and per Department policy, the vehicle was towed and inventoried.
• On Wednesday, March 22, 2017, an individual identifying himself as Taderera, called the tow company and inquired about the status of his BMW. The tow company informed Taderera that the vehicle was in police custody.
• On Thursday March 23, 2017, at approximately 10:15 pm, the FBI learned that Taderera had booked a flight, scheduled to leave on Friday, March 24, 2017, at 11 a.m., from Dulles International Airport to Addis Ababe, Ethiopia. During the morning of Friday, March 24, 2017, Taderera was en route to Dulles having taken a flight out of Boston. It was later learned that Taderera had rebooked his flight and was now planning to leave on March 24, 2017, at 5:45 p.m. from Dulles to Johannesburg, South Africa. Taderera was arrested prior to boarding the flight.