By Gerry Tuoti, GateHouse News Service TAUNTON nThe city man accused of robbing three area banks during a one-year span will spend the next five years in state prison after pleading guilty to the charges in New Bedford Superior Court.
Derek Powell, 27, of Crane Avenue, started his crime spree last July, when he called a Taunton bank from a cell phone and pretended to be an EMT who was with an injured bank employee. When the ruse distracted the concerned tellers, Powell walked into the bank, handed a teller a note demanding money and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Three weeks later, Powell struck again, walking into a Dighton bank, brandishing a handgun and demanding money. Again, he escaped.
Powell's next brush with the law came later that week, when a state trooper in Fall River pulled his car over during a traffic stop. The trooper arrested Powell on warrants charging him with the two bank robberies.
After searching Powell's car, the officer confiscated a gun, ammunition and a large amount of cash.
April 17, just two hours after a court hearing related to the bank robbery charges, Powell robbed his third bank, this time striking the Eastern Bank on County Street, Taunton.
The bank teller told police Powell, who covered his face with a white bandana, walked up to the counter and said, “Give me all your money. Stop playing with me. Give me all your [expletive] money. I have a gun.”
After getting an undetermined amount of cash, Powell fled the bank on foot, and the teller activated the alarm.
Police apprehended Powell less than a half-hour later and recovered all but $7 of the more than $1,500 reported stolen. Powell used the $7 to take his kids out for pizza, police said.
Powell pleaded guilty last week in New Bedford Superior Court to Taunton police charges of unarmed robbery and two counts of armed and masked robbery, and Massachusetts State Police charges of illegal possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition without an FID card.
Assistant District Attorney Garrett Fregault prosecuted the case for the Commonwealth.
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