A 26-year-old Methuen man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Boston for armed bank robbery two years ago.
Caio Costa was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to seven and a half years in prison and five years of supervised release. Last July 26, Costa pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery and using and carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
On Sept. 25, 2020, prosecutors said, Costa was armed with a loaded revolver and wearing a black motorcycle helmet when he entered a Salem Five Bank branch in Tewksbury. Inside the bank, Costa brandished a black revolver and stole more than $7,000. Costa then fled on a motorcycle leading to a high-speed chase, reaching speeds up to 100 miles per hour. Costa eventually crashed the motorcycle in Lawrence and escaped on foot. Police later located the motorcycle helmet and clothing matching that worn by Costa. The next day, he was arrested at a Salem, N.H., motel where he was found with a large sum of cash.
Costa admitted to robbing the Salem Five Bank three days earlier and committing other armed bank robberies between August and September 2020. He also directed police to a dumpster where a loaded black revolver, black gloves, a black backpack and other clothing used during the robbery were found.