A Methuen man was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for armed bank robbery.
Caio Costa, 26, was sentenced this week in Boston federal court to 90 months in prison and five years of supervised release, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement. Costa had pleaded guilty in July to one count of armed bank robbery and one count of using and carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
According to the U.S. attorney’s statement, Costa entered a Salem Five branch in Tewksbury on Sept. 25, 2020, with a loaded revolver and a black motorcycle helmet. Costa brandished the revolver and stole over $7,000, the statement said.
After Costa left the scene on a motorcycle, a high-speed chase followed that involved law enforcement and reached speeds up to 100 m.p.h., the statement said. Costa crashed the motorcycle in Lawrence and escaped on foot.
Law enforcement later located the motorcycle helmet and clothing consistent with that worn by Costa during the robbery, the statement said. Costa was arrested at a Salem, New Hampshire, motel where he had a large sum of cash. During an interview with law enforcement, Costa admitted to robbing the Salem Five branch and committing other armed bank robberies between August and September 2020, according to the statement. Costa also directed law enforcement to a dumpster, where a loaded black revolver, black gloves, a black backpack and other items of clothing used during the robbery were recovered.