| A Boston man yesterday pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to robbing 10 banks in the Greater Boston area.
Paul B. Landrum, dubbed the “Route 128 Bandit,” 38, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of bank robbery. Landrum was arrested and charged in in November 2017 and has been in custody since.
Eight banks were robbed in the Greater Boston area between July 31 and Oct. 6, 2017. After each robbery, the tellers described the perpetrator as a light-skinned black man, 30 to 45 years old, wearing a baseball hat, sunglasses and a long-sleeved collarless shirt. Based on the descriptive similarities, law enforcement suspected that the same individual was involved in each robbery.
Two more banks were robbed in the Greater Boston area between Oct. 17 and Oct. 19, 2017. Following these robberies, the tellers described the robber, later determined to be Tamea Chambers, as a black woman, 30 to 35 years old, wearing a wig. Based on the similar descriptions by the tellers, law enforcement suspected that the same individual was involved in these two robberies.
During their investigation of the latter robberies, law enforcement obtained video footage from a business connected to one of the banks that captured images of the female robber in the company of a light-skinned black male. Upon comparison of this video footage with the video footage of the first eight robberies, law enforcement determined the man to be the Route 128 Bandit.
An investigation into the robber’s getaway vehicle led law enforcement to identify Landrum as the suspect, and on Oct. 24, 2017, Landrum and Chambers were arrested in Boston. Landrum admitted to robbing eight banks individually, and assisting Chambers with the final two robberies.
Chambers was indicted in March 2018 and has a hearing in federal court in Boston on May 8.
Landrum faces a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 13.
