“Incognito Bandit” Arrested this Evening at Dulles International Airport

BOSTON – A man dubbed the “Incognito Bandit” was arrested this evening at Dulles International Airport in Virginia as he attempted to board an outbound flight to South Africa and charged with armed bank robbery.

Albert Taderera, 36, of Brighton, was charged by criminal complaint with the Oct. 7, 2016, robbery of a branch of the TD Bank in Wayland, Mass. Taderera is scheduled to appear in the U.S. District Court for the District of Eastern Virginia on Monday, March 27, 2017, for his initial appearance.

According to court documents, between February 2015 and March 2017, 16 banks were robbed in the Metro-West and Greater Boston areas. In most of the robberies, the robber was disguised in a dark hooded sweatshirt, dark face mask/sunglasses covering his face, dark gloves and dark clothing. In each of the banks, the robber entered the bank and made verbal demands for the banks’ money. In most of the robberies, the robber displayed what tellers described as a black semi-automatic handgun.

All of the robberies occurred in suburban settings where banks were freestanding and featured adjacent wooded areas or foliage. In many of these robberies, witnesses observed the robber leaving the bank following the robbery, and entering the wooded areas. Witnesses also observed the robber run toward, enter into, and then leave the area in a black BMW sedan. Based on these similarities, the FBI believed that the individual driving the black BMW was responsible for the robberies.

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 Police determined that the registration of the BMW was revoked and per Department policy, the vehicle was towed and inventoried.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 11:00 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.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the US sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney William Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; William Ferrara, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Concord Police Chief Joseph F. O’Connor, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.