Bank Robber Wanted: 'U30 Bandit'

The FBI is searching for a bank robber wanted for seven robberies in Massachusetts over the past three months.

The man is heavily disguised and fully armed. Police say he bursts into banks and threatens to kill, waving his gun just inches away from bank tellers, with his finger on the trigger.

- Check out photos from the robberies .

Police don’t know who he is, but he now has a name: “U30 Bandit.”

“The ‘U30 Bandit’ label on this has to do with the fact that he goes in and out of the banks in less than 30 seconds to conduct his robberies,” said Randy Jarvis, with the Boston FBI.

Bob's blog: U30 Bandit
"Right now, the hunt is on for an armed and dangerous bank robber who has been terrorizing area banks. I don't use the word terrorize lightly. In seven bank robberies, this guy has used explosive devices, a handgun, and the threat of violence. In each robbery he is heavily disguised."

Read more and respond here

“We’re extremely concerned for the safety of the bank tellers, as well as the general public,” said Jarvis.

The banks the robber has targeted so far are located in Wellesley, Needham, Newton, Dedham and the latest in Walpole. ( see map )

In the first few robberies, the masked man used the threat of explosive devices. Some of the devices can be seen in surveillance photos, and others were planted outside as diversions, forcing police to call bomb squads.

“He seems to be at a different level of violence now,” says Wellesley Deputy Police Chief Bill Brooks.

The spree began on March 26 in Wellesley. The first sign that something was wrong was a suspicious device planted outside of a Star Market. ( see photos of the device )

“The first call was a 911 hang-up at a payphone,” said Brooks. “When we got there, the officers saw what appeared to be a bomb sitting on top of the payphone.”

“So we called the bomb squad, set up a perimeter, and 15 minutes later a bank down the street was robbed less than a mile away,” he said.

The surveillance video shows a man wearing a dark, striped Adidas jacket, wearing gloves, with his face completely covered.

It’s the same method of operation used in all seven robberies.

And even though the disguise is changing, authorities are convinced it’s the same man.

“They are attempting to vary their disguises. But the method with which they conduct their robberies remains very similar,” Jarvis said.

During the most recent robbery on June 16 at the Sharon Credit Union in Walpole, the robber wore a completely different disguise: an oversized wig that obscured his face, and a Boston Red Sox cap.

“There’s not a lot to work with. These are very difficult cases,” said Brooks.

But the “U30 Bandit” isn’t perfect.

“There are mistakes being made, and we are cataloging every one of those in hopes they’ll all come together at the end,” Jarvis said.

The biggest mistake happened in Walpole, and it was almost fatal for the bandit.

Witnesses say he was almost hit by a passing motorist while he was running out of the bank.

Police hope he is stopped before someone gets hurt.

“In one of the armed robberies, he discharged the weapon, and we certainly feel his continued use of these firearms is a huge potential for a bank employee to be injured,” Jarvis said.

There is a reward of $37,500 for the capture of the “U30 Bandit.”

Police say he has an accomplice that drives the getaway car.

The bandit is described as a white man, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, and is working with at least one other person.

If you have any information, call the Boston FBI at 617-742-5533.