A Providence man who claims he's robbed at least 100 banks and that Ben Affleck's character in "The Town" was based on him was held without bail Thursday on charges of robbing two Boston banks and attempting to rob a third, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office said.
William Sequeira, 59, was charged in Boston Municipal Court Central with two counts of armed robbery of a bank and one count of attempted armed robbery of a bank. According to prosecutors, Sequeira has served previous long sentences for bank robbery.
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Sequeira was once featured in an episode of the show "Caught in Providence." In that show he claims to have robbed over 100 banks, and is seen telling a judge that Ben Affleck's bank-robbing character in "The Town" was based on him.
The latest charges stem from three new incidents. The first was a bank robbery at the Santander Bank on September 27. According to prosecutors, a man told the teller to “give me a hundred dollar bill or I’ll shoot you.” He left with $500.
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The next day, prosecutors say, officers were called to the M&T Bank on Boylston Street around 3:55 p.m. and demanded money, saying “I’m going to put a gun to your head if you don’t give me $100 bills.” He left with $388.
Sequeira was arrested at the third incident, when police say he attempted to rob a Citizens Bank on Boylston Street. Police had that location under surveillance and were able to arrest Sequeira after he allegedly went from one teller to the next, demanding "give me hundreds."
Investigators believe Sequeira was also the suspect responsible for the first two robberies. He was ordered held on $50,000 bail Thursday, and is next scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 3 for a pre-trial hearing.
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“This is a person who has clearly not learned from his prior arrests and convictions. Thanks to diligent investigative work he was apprehended before anyone got injured,” Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.
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