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BOSTON, Massachusetts — A Massachusetts man has been arrested in connection with two armed bank robberies that occurred in separate states after a multi-agency investigation led federal authorities to believe he had fled to Upstate New York.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Joseph Sawyer, 52, of Townsend, Massachusetts, was arrested in connection with the armed robberies of St. Mary’s Bank in Nashua, New Hampshire, on June 12, 2026, and a Chase Bank branch in Boonton, New Jersey, on June 27, 2026.
Federal prosecutors allege Sawyer carried out both robberies using what appeared to be a black semiautomatic handgun, creating a dangerous situation for bank employees and customers. According to the criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, Sawyer allegedly entered each bank, displayed the apparent firearm, ordered everyone inside to get onto the floor, and instructed victims to surrender their cell phones before carrying out the robberies.
The FBI also released surveillance images showing the suspect inside the banks during the robberies, including photographs that appear to show him displaying what investigators describe as a black semiautomatic handgun while issuing commands to employees and customers. The images were released as part of the investigation and document portions of the incidents that ultimately led to Sawyer’s arrest.
Investigators believe the demand for cell phones was intended to delay emergency calls to law enforcement and reduce the likelihood of an immediate response while the suspect fled the scene. Similar tactics have been observed in other armed robbery investigations, where suspects attempt to disrupt communications or slow witness reporting during the critical first moments after a crime.
Because the case is currently proceeding through a federal criminal complaint, the allegations remain unproven. Sawyer is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation quickly expanded beyond state lines after authorities identified similarities between the two robberies. Federal investigators, working alongside state and local law enforcement agencies, coordinated efforts to identify and locate the suspect while tracking information across multiple jurisdictions.
According to the FBI, investigators from FBI Boston and the Nashua Police Department developed information indicating Sawyer may have traveled to Upstate New York following the robberies. Acting on that intelligence, members of the FBI Albany SWAT Team located and arrested Sawyer without further incident.
The arrest illustrates the level of coordination frequently required in major violent crime investigations involving multiple states. As suspects move across jurisdictional boundaries, investigations often rely on intelligence sharing, surveillance, forensic evidence, witness interviews, and close cooperation among federal, state, and local agencies to identify suspects and safely take them into custody.
Authorities credited numerous law enforcement agencies for their roles in the investigation, including FBI Boston, FBI Albany, FBI New Jersey, the Nashua Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the New York State Police, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Hampshire, the District of New Jersey, the Northern District of New York, and the District of Massachusetts.
Bank robberies involving the display or threatened use of a firearm are prosecuted aggressively under federal law because of the significant danger they pose to victims, responding officers, and the public. Even when no shots are fired, investigators consider these offenses violent crimes due to the fear, intimidation, and potential for serious injury that accompany armed confrontations inside financial institutions.
Federal investigators will continue examining evidence gathered throughout the investigation as the criminal case proceeds through the federal court system. Additional information regarding the alleged robberies may emerge during future court proceedings.
The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
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“Authorities credited numerous law enforcement agencies for their roles in the investigation…”
It is always nice to know that these agencies are working together to resolve these cases. I’m thankful for all of them and the teamwork needed to be so successful.
“Even when no shots are fired, investigators consider these offenses violent crimes due to the fear, intimidation, and potential for serious injury that accompany armed confrontations inside financial institutions.”
I completely agree with this assessment. No one should be terrorized in their workplace or anywhere else for that matter. When a gun, or even a fake gun that looks real, is involved the stakes get substantially higher.
Of course, “Sawyer is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.” It is the American way and thankfully so. At the same time, after a fair trial if there is a guilty verdict, I hope the sentence fits the crime.
I hope all who were terrorized are able to get back to work without too much stress.
Thank you for this article, John. I appreciate all of the articles from today.
You’re very welcome, Chris.
I absolutely agree. It’s always encouraging to see agencies working together because so many investigations rely on that level of cooperation to reach a successful outcome. I also hope everyone who was affected by these robberies is able to move forward after such a frightening experience. No one should have to go to work wondering if they’re going to face something like that.
Thank you again, Chris. I really appreciate you taking the time to read our articles and leave such thoughtful comments. I hope you have a great night and week ahead. 😎
You’re welcome, John, and thank you for this reply. I appreciate your inclusion of the agencies that are working together on things like this. You are very good about doing this and it helps us see the teamwork going on out there.
Thanks again, John, and I really appreciate the work that you do. I hope you have a great night and week ahead as well!😊
I tried to leave a comment on your website actual, but when I hit submit, a “nonce” error came up. Doing this through the wp reader and hoping it goes through.
Thank you very much for letting me know.
I’m sorry you ran into that error while trying to comment directly on the website. I appreciate you taking the extra step to leave your comment through the WordPress Reader, and I’m glad it appears to have gone through. WordPress has been experiencing all sorts of issues lately. We haven’t even been able to log in to our own account through the WordPress app for well over a couple of weeks now. It seems to be one thing after another. We’ll test it on our end, and if we’re able to reproduce the error, we’ll definitely report it to WordPress.
Thank you again for reading and for making the effort to comment. It’s greatly appreciated. 😎