Man who says he has committed over 100 bank robberies charged in Fall River bank heist

A man that claims he has committed over 100 bank robberies has been charged in a Fall River heist.

According to Sergeant Moses Pereira, on Monday September 26, Officer Keith Pires responded to Citizens Bank located at 501 Rodman St. in response to a reported bank robbery.

Upon arrival, a bank employee explained to Officer Pires that an unknown white male, wearing a face covering approached her teller window and demanded money from her cash drawer. The employee complied with his demands and the man fled the area on foot. Detective Luis Vertentes of the Major Crimes Division was assigned as the lead investigator in this case.

During his investigation, Det. Vertentes shared photographs of the robbery suspect within the department in hopes of identifying him. Members of the Gang Unit advised Det. Vertentes that the suspect resembled an individual suspected of multiple bank robberies in and around the City of Boston. Officer Eric Pacheco of the Special Operations Division identified key characteristics which resembled a male with whom he had spoken while working a detail. Officer Pacheco recalled that the man told him that Ben Affleck made a movie (The Town) in which the main character was based on him. He also told Officer Pacheco that he had been on an episode of Caught in Providence with Judge Caprio. Officer Pacheco was able to research previous episodes of Caught in Providence and identify the suspect. Officer Pacheco relayed this information to Det. Vertentes, to include the suspect’s name.

On Tuesday October 4, Det. Vertentes was able to alert his Law Enforcement partners that he had credible information to suggest that the suspect was in route to the City of Boston.

Later that afternoon, 59-year-old William Sequeira, of Providence, RI was arrested in Boston, by members of the FBI Boston’s Violent Crimes Task Force for an attempted unarmed robbery. Sequiera will also be facing criminal charges stemming from his involvement in the September 26th robbery of Citizens Bank in Fall River.

Sequeira is the last arrest in a string of robberies that took place in the city at the end of September.