Convicted Bank Robber Charged with Salem Robbery

A previously convicted bank robber allegedly robbed a Salem bank and two banks in Beverly this summer, plus other banks in Somerville and Stoughton while on supervised release. He was arrested Aug. 4 while attempting to rob a sixth bank in Burlington, according to authorities.

James Patterson, 46, whose most recent address is in Brockton, was charged Thursday in U.S. District Court in Boston with five counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery, according to U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz’ office.

Patterson was previously convicted of bank robbery in 2001 and sentenced to roughly 12-and-a-half years in federal prison and three years of supervised release.

Authorities allege that Patterson, once out of prison, from April 16 to July 20 of this year, robbed the following banks:

• Beverly Bank, Dodge Street, Beverly
• People’s United Bank, Dodge Street, Beverly
• Century Bank, Fellsway West, Somerville
• South Shore Bank, Turnpike Street, Stoughton
• North Shore Bank, Highland Avenue, Salem

The robbery at North Shore Bank in Salem on July 20 involved the threat of a gun, police said at the time.

The robbery happened at 1:28 p.m. The bank is located at 319 Highland Ave., next to the Circle K/Irving gas station at the corner of Swampscott Road.

After the robbery, Officer Timothy Salvo responded with K-9 Turbo and searched for the robber, who was described as wearing a blue sweatsuit and blue hat with a blue bandanna over his face and nose and gloves on his hands, police said.

In addition to Salvo and a detective, three other officers and a sergeant responded and checked the area for the suspect, with help from officers from Lynn, Marblehead and Swampscott.

In the robbery of Beverly Bank on April 16, police said at the time that the man, know identified at Patterson, was wearing a New York Yankees during the robbery at about 9:20 a.m. He walked into the bank, in North Beverly Plaza on Dodge Street and demanded “all the money,” police said.

He fled with an undisclosed amount of cash and fled down Conant Street toward Danvers.

The May 12 robbery of People’s United Bank, also in North Beverly Plaza, hapenned at about 12:45 p.m.. according to a press release from police at the time.

The robber, now identified at Patterson, walked calmly into the bank and demanded all the money, police said. He was wearing dark colored clothing and sunglasses and fled on foot with an undetermined amount of money.

In all five robberies, Patterson wore sunglasses and latex or rubber gloves and had a bandana or clothing covering the lower part of his face, authorities said. In all of the robberies, Patterson announced he was robbing the banks and then told the employees and customers to put their hands up, according to authorities.

On Aug. 4, federal agents were tracking Patterson as he approached the Century Bank on Cambridge Street in Burlington, allegedly with the intent to rob it. Patterson was arrested at the scene.