BOSTON, MA—An East Boston man was convicted today (September 21) in federal court of armed bank robbery. United States Attorney Carmen M Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division, announced today that BRIAN FEBONIO, 41, of East Boston, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge George A O’Toole to armed bank robbery. At today’s plea hearing, the prosecutor told the court that had the case proceeded to trial, the government’s evidence would have prove that on the morning on September 18, 2009, two masked and armed individuals entered the Sovereign Bank in Peabody. One of the robbers, later identified as Febonio, climbed over a teller’s counter and began ransacking cash drawers while displaying a firearm.
While Febonio emptied the cash drawers, the other robber, Michael J Peters pointed his weapon at the other employees and ordered them to the ground. The robbers stuffed the currency into a black nylon bag and fled the scene. A post robbery audit revealed that $26,433 was taken during the robbery The two individuals were observed by a bank employee entering a black sedan and fleeing the area. Video surveillance at the bank captured the robbers during the robbery and as they fled.
The vehicle was eventually recovered and determined to have been purchased by Febonio on the day before the robbery. Febonio was identified by witnesses from the video surveillance, and an arrest warrant was issued resulting in Febonio’s capture a few days later in a New Hampshire motel. Information linking Peters was seized from Febonio’s motel room and an arrest warrant was issued for Peters who was subsequently taken into custody without incident. Judge O’Toole schedule sentencing for December 21, 2010.
Febonio faces up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and restitution in the amount of $26,433. The co-defendant Michael Peters was sentenced on September 9, 2010, by Judge George A O’Toole, to 108 months in custody to be followed by five years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $26,433. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crimes Task Force, the New Hampshire State Police and the Peabody Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth G Shine of Ortiz’s Major Crime Unit.
