William Sequeira, a 60-year old man from Fall River, has finally faced the consequences of his shocking crime spree, as he was sentenced to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release earlier today, following his guilty plea on June 22, 2023, to four counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Between September 26 and September 30, 2022, Sequeira's crime spree saw him robbing four banks in the Fall River and Boston areas. His tactics were violent and terrifying, often threatening tellers with a gun to their head and demanding large sums of money.
His first robbery took place on September 26, 2022, at the Stop & Shop on Rodman Street in Fall River. Sequeira approached the Citizens Bank counter, demanding money by stating, “Listen, this is what's gonna happen, I have a gun and I'll put it against your forehead.” The following day, Sequeira entered the Santander Bank on Berkley Street in Boston, threatening to shoot the employees if they did not comply with his demands, though he did not present a firearm during this incident.
The crime spree continued on September 28, 2022, when Sequeira entered the M&T Bank located on Boylston Street in Boston. There, he approached a teller, stating, “I'm going to put a gun to your head if you don't give me the $100 bills.” Finally, on September 30, 2022, Sequeira entered the TD Bank on Union Street in Boston. He demanded money from the teller while threatening, “give me all the money before I blow your brains out.” He then fled the scene on foot with the stolen money.
As law enforcement worked to investigate and identify the suspect, they received a crucial tip on October 5, 2022, that Sequeira was on a train traveling to Boston. Authorities swiftly engaged in surveillance, leading them to suspect that Sequeira was planning another robbery in the Back Bay area. Their suspicions were confirmed when they spotted Sequeira entering the Citizens Bank on Boylston Street in Boston, where he tried to rob the bank before he was apprehended.
The authorities involved in this case, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Police Department, Fall River Police Department, and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, worked together to ensure that justice was served. As a result, William Sequeira now faces a sentence befitting the severity of his crimes.
