'Spelling Bee Bandit' Caught, Charged In Four Boston-Area Bank Robberies
CHELSEA (CBS) -- A Chelsea man who authorities say caught their attention with four Boston-area bank robberies--and his atrocious spelling--has been captured.
Jason Englen, 34, who had been nicknamed the "Spelling Bee Bandit" by law enforcement, was arrested Monday and charged in connection with the robberies of TD Banks in Arlington on October 31, Reading on November 5, and Peabody on November 13, as well as a Salem Five bank in Burlington on November 7, the U.S. Attorney's office said.
The Arlington Police Department said in a release that they assisted the FBI with Englen's arrest.
In each of the four robberies, authorities said Englen spelled "robbery" wrong, writing "robery" or "robert" on the back of a withdrawal slip and passing a demand note to tellers. At the last robbery, he demanded $20 and $50 bills.
According to the FBI, the man had "become more aggressive with the tellers" in each subsequent incident.
His photos were circulated to the public after each robbery. At one point, the MassMostWanted Tip Program was offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the then-unknown robbery suspect's arrest arrest.
Once Englen was identified as the suspect, it turned out he was already in state custody on charges unrelated to the bank robberies.
Englen is due in court for a probable cause and detention hearing Tuesday. He faces up to 20 years in prison.