Westport man pleads guilty to bank robbery after police retrieve his DNA

A Westport man has pled guilty to a bank robbery after video and DNA were collected.

Philip Leo Campanirio, 54, of Westport, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court to bank robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 17, 2018, Campanirio entered a branch of Provident Bank in Hampton, New Hampshire, approached a teller and asked for $8,000. He told the teller to “stay calm and no one gets hurt” and not to “make any sudden movements.” He then put his hands in his pockets, making the teller believe he had a gun. The teller gave Campanirio some money and he fled.

The robbery was captured by the bank’s video security system. Shortly after the robbery, Hampton police officers located the grey baseball cap and blue hoodie Campanirio wore during the robbery. A forensics lab confirmed Campanirio’s DNA was found on the sweatshirt.

Campanirio is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2021.

“I am grateful to the Hampton Police Department and the FBI for their work in bringing this defendant to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Bank robberies can cause great distress to victims and subject everyone involved to potential physical harm. These crimes directly undermine public safety. Would-be bank robbers should expect to be arrested and brought before the U.S District Court to face judgment.”

“Any time an individual threatens a gun inside a financial institution with the intent to rob it, victims are traumatized and there is a potential for tragic consequences. As a result of today’s guilty plea, Paul Campanirio faces significant prison time, thanks to the combined efforts of our local and federal law enforcement partners,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Hampton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen Fitzgibbons.