Salem Bank Robber, War Veteran Sentenced to Prison

An Afghanistan war veteran who committed robberies in New Hampshire and three Massachusetts towns was sentenced to 30 months in prison Tuesday, according to United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

Joseph Costello, 27, of Wilmington, Mass. robbed banks in Salem, N.H., Chelmsford, Mass. and North Andover, Mass.

He also robbed a supermarket in Reading, Mass.

Costello committed each of his robberies in virtually identical fashion.

He would present a note to the teller or store employee indicating that a third party had placed a bomb in the building and would detonate the explosive unless the teller or employee provided Costello with money.

In the case of the Salem robbery, which took place on July 2, 2012 at the Shaw's Citizens Bank on South Broadway, Costello also told the teller he had a hostage.

Costello was arrested on July 16, 2012 following the cooperative efforts of state and local law enforcement aided by citizen responses to the circulation of his surveillance photographs.

He was discharged from the Army in 2011 after being injured, according to his attorney.

The case was investigated by the local police departments in all three towns alongs with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth R. Aframe.