FBI May Have 'Burly Bandit' in Custody

The FBI says it is investigating whether a man arrested at a motel in Bangor, Maine Wednesday may be the so-called "Burly Bandit," who is believed to have committed 10 bank robberies over the past three months, including one in Darien.

Robert Ferguson, 47, of Lowell, Mass. was arrested Wednesday morning on a tip from a hotel employee. He is facing charges on an additional burglary in Orono, Maine from Tuesday.

Ferguson is in federal custody and is being held without bail, according to the FBI, after appearing Wednesday at U.S. district court in Bangor. A separate bail hearing has been scheduled for Monday.

Earlier this week, the FBI announced that it was described as a 6' tall, white male of a stocky build in his late 40s to early 50s.

The man's apparent trademark—on display in the battery of security camera images released by the FBI—is wearing a different accessory to conceal his face in each instance. Those disguises have included sunglasses, a wig, a cowboy hat, and, in Darien's case, a yarmulke.

Darien is believed to have become the first stop in the Burly Bandit's spree on the morning of April 12, when the individual made off with about $4,000 from the Bank of America at 7 Sedgewick Avenue.

The man reportedly walked into the bank around 10:30 a.m., had a cup of coffee, passed a note to the teller demanding money, and left on foot—his usual method of escape, according to the FBI.

At the time, the robber was clad in a grey, waist-length pea coat and a bright blue head covering which appeared to be a yarmulke. The coat was recovered after the department's K-9 unit tracked the thief to a parking lot near Goodwives Shopping Center, but the man escaped.

"He was casual and matter-of-fact. Everyone said he was a polite robber, non-threatening. But he wanted his money, and the note spoke for him," Capt. Fred Komm of the Darien Police Department told Patch in April.

According to the FBI, the man wasn't so courteous in every case, having brandished a weapon and made threats to kill bank tellers.

Other locations hit by the robber include Lowell Five Cent Savings Banks in Tewksbury, Mass. on April 27; Digital Credit Union in Tyngsboro, Mass. on May 5, Rollstone Bank & Trust in Fitchburg, Mass. on May 17; Pawtucket Federal Credit Union in Warwick, R.I. on May 27; Rockland Federal Credit Union in North Attleboro, Mass. on May 27; Hampshire First Bank in Londonberry, N.H. on June 1; Pentucket Bank in Hampstead, NH on June 1; Webster Bank in Somers, Conn. on June 24; and Ocean Bank in Merrimack, N.H. on July 2.