Laconia Man Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Seven Bank Robberies In New Hampshire And Massachusetts

CONCORD, N.H. - Chaka Meredith, 43, previously of Laconia, New Hampshire was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for committing seven unarmed bank robberies in late 2016 and early 2017, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.  

           On January 18, 2018, Meredith pleaded guilty to the following crimes:  (1) the December 29, 2016, robbery of a Bank of America branch location in Boston, Massachusetts;  (2) the January 3, 2017, robbery of an East Boston Savings Bank branch location in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts; (3) the January 11, 2017, robbery of a Meredith Village Savings Bank branch location in Laconia, New Hampshire; (4) the January 17, 2017, robbery of a  Santander Bank branch location in Lawrence, Massachusetts; (5) the January 24, 2017, robbery of a TD Bank branch location in Lawrence, Massachusetts; (6) the January 25, 2017, robbery of a Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank branch location in Pepperell, Massachusetts; and (7) the January 30, 2017, robbery of a Santander Bank branch location in Plaistow, New Hampshire.   The bank robberies proceeded in much the same fashion with Meredith presenting a demand note, receiving a sum of cash, and proceeding to flee on foot.  Meredith has been in custody since his arrest by the Lawrence, Massachusetts Police on February 1, 2017. 

           Meredith was originally indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Concord, New Hampshire, with the Plaistow robbery.  He waived venue and agreed to plead guilty to the Massachusetts robberies in order to resolve all of his pending charges in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire resulting from the month-long bank robbery spree. 

          Following his release from prison, Meredith will serve 3 years on supervised release.  He was also ordered to pay $10,438 in restitution to the seven banks he robbed.

          “Bank robberies jeopardize the safety of bank employees, as well as members of the public,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “In our efforts to reduce crime and protect our citizens, the law enforcement community works together to identify and prosecute those who commit bank robberies and other crimes that undermine public safety.”

          “As a result of the close and efficient collaboration with our law enforcement partners, Chaka Meredith will now spend the next several years behind bars paying for his multi-state crime spree.  The FBI is extremely grateful that nobody was injured by this serial bank robber, and we’ll continue to do everything we can to identify and disrupt others like him who commit violent crimes,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Boston Division.

          This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Laconia Police Department, the Plaistow Police Department, the Belknap County Sheriff’s Department, the Brookline, MA Police Department, the Lawrence, MA Police Department, the Pepperell, MA Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police.  The Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk District Attorneys’ Offices in Massachusetts as well as the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office also provided invaluable assistance to investigators.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

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