A Massachusetts man has been charged in federal court with bank robbery, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announced on July 15. Joseph Sawyer, 52, of Townsend, Massachusetts, was arrested on July 8 and appeared before the court that afternoon.
According to the criminal complaint, Sawyer allegedly robbed at gunpoint the St. Mary’s Bank located at 4 Northwest Boulevard in Nashua on June 12. The Federal Bureau of Investigation identified Sawyer as a suspect after investigating a similar bank robbery that occurred two weeks later in Boonton, New Jersey.
If convicted, Sawyer faces up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Authorities said the details contained in the criminal complaint are allegations, and that “the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
FBI Boston is leading the investigation into the case. The Nashua Police Department; FBI New Jersey; FBI Albany; New Jersey State Police; New York State Police; Warren County (NY) Sheriff’s Office; and United States Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, Northern District of New York, and District of Massachusetts provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon is prosecuting.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire enhances community well-being by enforcing federal laws and safeguarding residents and functions under the direction of the United States Attorney General; it handles prosecutions of federal crimes as well as civil cases involving the government while building alliances with law enforcement agencies at all levels across the state through federal court representation as a federal law enforcement entity, according to the official website.