Norwich police make an arrest in September bank robbery

Norwich — Police said Monday they arrested an Uncasville man on probation for previous bank robbery convictions and charged him with last month's robbery of Eastern Connecticut Savings Bank.

Anthony Fitzgerald Hall, 59, of 224 Maple Ave., was charged with second-degree robbery and third-degree larceny. He was arraigned Monday in Norwich Superior Court and his bond was set at $150,000. His next court date is Nov. 25.

Detective and patrol officers responded on Sept. 13 to a reported robbery at the bank at 666 W. Main St.

After an investigation that included an extensive review of video recordings at numerous locations and the suspect's cellphone records, Norwich detectives determined "the accused acted alone and there are no other persons of interest in this crime," according to a press release.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, bank employees told police the suspect wore a nylon stocking over his head and passed a note to a teller asking for "$50s and $100s" and told the teller to give him $20 bills too. He fled on foot with approximately $2,400 and headed toward Jones Court.

Using video from a homeowner on Jones Court, police identified a Toyota Solara leaving the dead-end street at a high speed and broadcast the description of the vehicle. Five days later, Norwich police officer Scott Meikle reported seeing the vehicle, and a patrol officer stopped Hall's vehicle a short time later.

During interviews, Hall at first told police he was in Bridgeport the

entire day Sept. 13 renovating his sister's basement. His sister also called police to confirm he was at her house but called back later to say that was in error.

During a subsequent interview, police said Hall allegedly changed his statement and admitted to the robbery. He told police he was having a relapse and had been smoking crack cocaine the entire night before the robbery.

He told police he used all of the stolen cash to buy cocaine and to pay cocaine dealers money he owed them.

Police interviewed an FBI agent familiar with Hall's previous bank robbery arrests. The agent told police Hall had been indicted on Jan. 5, 2010 and sentenced to 7¼ years in prison and five years of supervised probation on April 29, 2011.

Norwich police Detective Kevin Wilbur led the investigation into the Eastern Connecticut Savings Bank robbery, according to the release.

John Mancini, executive vice president of the bank, said in September that an undisclosed amount of cash was stolen and that no weapon was used during the robbery. No one was injured, and police secured the bank and closed it for the rest of the day, he said.

Norwich public school officials also said in September that there was a temporary hold-in-place at several schools that prevented anyone from entering or leaving for about 45 minutes.