A judge’s gavel is shown in a file photo. (Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus)
BOSTON (WWLP) – A Fall River man pleaded guilty on Thursday in federal court in Boston to robbing four banks in Massachusetts within a five-day period and attempting to rob another bank.
According to the Department of Justice, 60-year-old William Sequeira pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery. Between September 26, 2022, and September 30, 2022, Sequeira robbed four different banks in the Fall River and Boston areas. Sequeira robbed a Citizens Bank branch in Fall River on September 26, 2022, a Santander Bank branch in Boston on September 27, an M&T Bank branch in Boston on September 28, and a TD Bank branch in Boston on September 30.
When Sequeira robbed the Santander Bank, he ran up to a teller and stated, “Give me a $100 bill or I’ll put a bullet in your head,” but Sequeira did not present a firearm. hen he robbed the M&T Bank, he approached a teller, and said, “I’m going to put a gun to your head if you don’t give me the $100 bills.” During the TD Bank robbery, he approached a teller and said, “Give me all the $100s in the drawer,” and “Give me all the money before I blow your brains out,” before running away with money from the teller.
On October 5th, law enforcement that was surveilling the Back Bay area in an effort to locate Sequeira, saw him entering a Citizens Bank branch on Boylston Street in Boston, where he approached the teller and said “Give me hundreds,” and then threatened to shoot the teller if they did not move quickly enough. Sequeira was then immediately apprehended.
The charges of bank robbery provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison each, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of attempted bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, as well as a fine of $250,000. Sequeira’s sentencing is scheduled for September 12.