PORTLAND — Four days after police announced the arrest of suspects in a string of bank robberies dating back to May, the TD Bank at 1410 Congress St. was robbed at gunpoint.
Assistant Police Chief Vern Malloch said the robbery occurred at 8:10 a.m. Oct. 3. The robber displayed a handgun and allegedly threatened a customer and two employees while demanding cash.
The suspect was described by Malloch as a white man at least 40 years old, between 5 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 11 inches tall, and wearing blue jeans, tan work boots and a red hooded rain jacket with the hood up.
Malloch said the suspect covered his face with a white scarf with yellow, red and orange stripes.
The robbery followed a Sept. 29 press conference at police headquarters where Police Chief Michael Sauschuck announced arrests in six previous robberies.
“By working with the community, our law enforcement partners at the FBI and neighboring police departments, the department is happy to report that it has solved all of these recent bank robberies,” Sauschuck said.
Police charged 42-year-old Thomas Monat with the Sept. 25 robbery at the University Credit Union branch at 391 Forest Ave.
Monat was arrested a few blocks away about a day later, Malloch said in a Sept. 26 news release. He is being held on $100,000 bail at Cumberland County Jail.
Sauschuck said three other suspects have been or will be charged and indicted in the robberies, but declined to identify them.
All could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted, and Sauschuck said federal charges are also possible.
The series of robberies began May 14, when the University Credit Union branch at 1071 Brighton Ave. was robbed. On May 26, the Tru-Choice Credit Union at 272 Park Ave. was robbed. Both were armed robberies.
In the first four robberies, the suspect was described as a black male wearing a disguise, and possibly a wig or dreadlocks.
TruChoice and cPort credit union officials eventually offered a $10,000 reward through Aug. 31 for information leading to the successful prosecution of suspects connected to the TruChoice robbery and the June 19 robbery of the cPort Credit Union at 285 Forest Ave.
Shortly after the cPort Credit Union was robbed, police said the same suspect robbed the Bank of America branch at One City Center. The incident led police to seal off the area for several hours as they searched a nearby parking garage.
On Sept. 4, the University Credit Union branch at 391 Forest Ave. was robbed by what police described as a “heavily disguised” couple who displayed a handgun before demanding cash.
Anyone with information about the October robbery is asked to call police at 874-8575. Anonymous tips can be made online at www.portland-police.com or by texting 274637 with the keyword “GOTCHA.”
David Harry can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 110 or dharry@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidHarry8.
Surveillance video shows the suspect Portland police believe robbed the TD Bank at 1410 Congress St. on Oct. 3.
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