BOONTON — A Townsend, Massachusetts, man was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in connection with two armed bank robberies, including one at a Chase Bank in Boonton, as part of a federal initiative targeting violent crime.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire, Joseph Sawyer robbed St. Mary’s Bank at 4 Northwest Boulevard in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Friday, June 12, and the Chase Bank at 530 Myrtle Avenue in Boonton on Saturday, June 27. During both robberies, the complaint alleges Sawyer brandished what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun and ordered those inside the banks to get on the ground and surrender their cell phones.
The arrest was made as part of Operation Summer Heat 2.0, an FBI initiative aimed at reducing violent crime. Sawyer was arrested by the FBI Albany Division’s SWAT team after the FBI’s Boston Division developed information indicating he may be in upstate New York.
The FBI credited the Nashua Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the New York State Police, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI New Jersey for their assistance in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
