A Raynham man will spend more than 12 years behind bars for his role in a brazen armed robbery that netted roughly $436,200 in cannabis industry cash outside a closed Swansea bank on Presidents' Day 2024. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris sentenced 39-year-old Christopher White to 154 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to robbery interfering with interstate commerce, conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
The courier arrived at BayCoast Bank in Swansea at 12:36 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2024, and the U-Haul arrived two minutes later, at 12:38 p.m. The branch was closed for the federal holiday, forcing the courier to use an overnight deposit box, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The courier was hauling cash collected from state-licensed cannabis dispensaries across Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, including stops in Provincetown, Wellfleet, Plymouth, Middleboro, and Fall River, as reported by Boston 25 News. The robbery involved a cash courier transporting funds for cannabis businesses.
A Violent Ambush and a Desperate Escape
Court records say White exited a stolen rental van wearing a mask, pointed a gun at the courier, and zip-tied him, according to WJAR. White and co-defendant Steven Madison then forced the courier into the backseat of his own car, pepper-sprayed him, and shut the door, per the station's report. While locked inside, the courier managed to free one hand from the restraints, draw his personal firearm, and fire three rounds at the fleeing U-Haul van before calling 911, federal prosecutors said.
White and Madison drove the stolen van to a secondary Swansea location, where they met co-defendant Quentin McDonald, who was waiting in an SUV, the same account notes. After transferring the stolen cash into McDonald's vehicle, the U-Haul was burned.
Searches and Arrests
Investigators later searched White's residence and found zip-ties, a black mask similar to one worn by a robber, and a firearm, officials said. Federal agents arrested White at his Raynham home, Madison in Bridgewater, and McDonald in Brockton, Boston 25 News reported. When ATF agents raided Madison's Bridgewater home in May 2024 using flashbang grenades, they seized a firearm, more than 400 grams of cocaine, phones tied to the heist, and a newly purchased Rolex watch, the outlet added, noting that neighbors reported waking up to the flashbangs.
Co-Defendants and an Acquittal
Madison, 39, of Bridgewater, pleaded guilty in June 2025 to Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy, brandishing a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, according to the Department of Justice. Reports described his role as helping steal the getaway van and transfer the cash. A fourth suspect, Elgun Mikaiylov, a former manager at a Fall River cannabis dispensary, was charged in a superseding indictment with supplying the robbery crew with insider pickup schedules, but he was found not guilty on all charges in September 2026, according to the Fall River Reporter.
Why Federal Prosecutors Took the Case
The case was charged under the Hobbs Act, a federal statute addressing robberies that affect interstate commerce. Federal prosecutors brought the case, and White was sentenced in federal court.
