"Incognito Bandit" Charged with Additional Count of Armed Bank Robbery

BOSTON – A man dubbed the “Incognito Bandit” was charged in federal court in Boston today with an additional count of armed bank robbery.

Albert Taderera, 36, of Brighton, was charged in a superseding indictment with two counts of bank robbery: the Oct. 16, 2015, armed bank robbery of a branch of the Winchester Savings Bank in Arlington and the Oct. 7, 2016, armed robbery of a branch of TD Bank in Wayland. In March 2017, Taderera was charged by criminal complaint and arrested at Dulles International Airport in Virginia as he attempted to board an outbound flight to South Africa.

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 case, 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. After many of these robberies, witnesses observed the robber leave the bank and enter the wooded areas. Witnesses also observed the robber flee the area in a black BMW sedan. Based on these similarities, investigators 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 numerous recent 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 Police determined that the registration of the BMW was revoked and per Department policy, the vehicle was towed and inventoried.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, law enforcement 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 Ababa, Ethiopia. During the morning of 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. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the US sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; 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; and Concord Police Chief Joseph F. O’Connor made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.