A 25-year-old Methuen man was indicted Monday on charges of armed bank robbery.
Caio Costa was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of armed bank robbery and one count of using and carrying a firearm during the commission of a violent crime of violence.
According to U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, Costa, armed with a loaded revolver and donning a black motorcycle helmet, entered a branch of the Salem Five Bank in Tewksbury last Sept. 25. Inside the bank, he brandished a black revolver and stole more than $7,000.
Following the robbery, Costa escaped riding a black motorcycle with police following at speeds reaching 100 mph. Costa eventually crashed in Lawrence and escaped on foot. Police later located the black motorcycle helmet and clothing and determined they were consistent with those worn by Costa during the robbery. The next day, he was arrested at a Salem, N.H., motel. At the time of his arrest, Costa was in possession of a large sum of cash.
Costa admitted in a Sept. 28 interview to robbing the bank three days earlier and committing four other armed bank robberies between Aug. 28 and Sept. 25, 2020. Costa directed law enforcement to a dumpster where a loaded black revolver, black gloves, black backpack and other items of clothing used during the robbery were recovered.