A Lowell man has admitted to a series of armed bank heists in Worcester last year, pleading guilty to the charges in federal court, authorities said. Joselito Santiago-Matias, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and two counts of armed bank robbery before U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman, who has set the sentencing for July 24, 2024. The man was indicted by a grand jury in September 2023 following the April spree, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Officials detail Santiago-Matias's crime wave beginning with a theft at Santander Bank on April 3, 2023, followed by a more brazen armed robbery at Berkshire Bank on April 12, 2023, and concluding with another gunpoint score at Santander Bank on April 19, 2023. In his plea, Santiago-Matias stands to quickly become a convicted man serving a possible 20-year prison term for the bank robbery and up to 25 years for each of the armed robberies. The sentencing will also consider fines reaching $250,000 and post-prison supervised release.

The case was brought to the limelight by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, the FBI's Special Agent in Charge, Jodi Cohen of the Boston Division, and Worcester Police Department's Interim Chief Paul B. Saucier.

Federal sentencing guidelines along with statutory rules will influence the final decision on Santiago-Matias's fate, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan D. O'Shea helming the prosecution. This case not only exemplifies the severe consequences of violent crime but also the determination of federal and local agencies to thoroughly investigate and bring to justice those who intimidate and endanger the public with firearms.