Dubbed the “Spelling Bee Bandit,”, a Chelsea resident named Jason S. Englen, 34, faced arrest and charges on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in four bank robberies across the Greater Boston region.
The charges against Englen relate to: the TD Bank in Arlington robbed on Oct. 31, 2016; the TD Bank in Reading on Nov. 5, 2016; Salem Five in Burlington on Nov. 7, 2016; and the TD Bank in Peabody on Nov. 13, 2016. This week was expected to bring a probable cause and detention hearing before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler.
Court documents detail how, on Oct. 31, 2016, an individual walked into an Arlington TD Bank branch, approached a teller and handed over a note scrawled on a deposit slip bearing the word “ROBERY” written on it. The teller handed the man money from the drawer and he fled the bank. Following the robbery, the man’s image was circulated on public websites seeking information about his identity. Nearly identical incidents occurred on Nov. 5 at a branch of TD Bank in Reading, on Nov. 7 at a branch of Salem Five in Burlington, and on Nov. 13 at a branch of TD Bank in Peabody. During each robbery, the man handed the teller a note with the word “ROBERY” or “ROBERT” demanding cash. The perpetrator specified a preference for $20 and $50 bills during the final robbery.
To identify the suspect, authorities distributed a bulletin to the public based on the consistent pattern across incidents and physical descriptions given by bank employees. Information received through this effort led investigators to Englen, who was already being held in state custody on separate charges when federal authorities arrested him Tuesday.
Under the applicable charging statute, the maximum sentence is 20 years imprisonment plus three years supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution. Federal sentences typically fall below maximum penalties, with actual punishment determined by a federal district court judge using the US Sentencing guidelines and other relevant statutory considerations.