Methuen Man Indicted On Tewksbury Bank Robbery Charge

TEWKSBURY, MA — A Methuen man was indicted by a federal grand jury in connection to a Tewksbury bank robbery Monday, prosecutors said.

Caio Costa, 25, was indicted on one count of armed bank robbery and one count of using and carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.

Prosecutors accuse Costa of robbing the Tewksbury Salem Five Bank on Sept. 25, 2020. According to charging documents, he entered the bank, brandished a gun and stole over $7,000.

The robber fled on a motorcycle and was pursued in a high-speed chase before crashing in Lawrence and escaping on foot. The next day, Costa was arrested in Salem, New Hampshire with a large sum of cash, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Costa admitted to the Salem Five Bank robbery and four other armed bank robberies in an interview with law enforcement on Sept. 28. All robberies were between Aug. 28 and Sept. 25.

Costa directed police to a dumpster where they found a loaded gun, a backpack, and clothing used during the robbery.

Costa was previously charged in state court and in federal court by criminal complaint. Federal prosecutors previously said he admitted to the Aug. 28 armed robbery of the Eastern Bank in Chelmsford; the Sept. 18 armed robbery of the People's United Bank in Lowell and the Sept. 18 armed robbery of the Reading Co-Op in Wilmington.

Costa faces up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 for the armed bank robbery charge. He faces another seven years for the charge of brandishing a firearm during the robbery.

All people are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.