Bucks County man charged in 'Straw Hat Bandit' robberies
NORTH WALES, Pa. (WPVI) -- A Bucks County man has been charged for stealing close to $500,000 in 11 bank robberies in Pennsylvania, the FBI announced Thursday.
57-year-old Richard Boyle of Doylestown was charged Thursday with 11 counts of bank robbery, 10 counts of using or carrying a firearm during the commission of those bank robberies, and 10 counts of money laundering.
The FBI says the robber, dubbed "The Straw Hat Bandit," stole a total of $495,686 in the robberies which occurred in Montgomery and Bucks counties between 2012 and 2016.
Authorities say Boyle made good use of the proceeds, living a comfortable life in the suburbs of Doylestown where his neighbors were stunned.
Ryan Foster, neighbor said, "It's very surprising to hear there's an actual real criminal living among you."
His family was not answering the door at his home. But his neighbors say the first hint they got that something was amiss was when they saw all these agents descend on the house Wednesday.
For neighbors who knew Richard Boyle, it really blew the concept of who they thought this guy was.
"We talked about the eagles, I'm a big eagles fan, and you know he seemed like a sociable guy, you just wouldn't think that," said Hal Patterson.
And maybe it's because the feds say he was real good at the art of diversion.
The FBI said the suspect concealed his face for all the robberies using a mask, pillowcase, or bandana. He also wore a variety of hats, including a large straw hat, dark-colored bucket hat, and black baseball cap. They say he favored suit coats over shirt and tie, hooded sweatshirts, and lightweight jackets.
An indictment alleges that Boyle laundered a portion of the proceeds of these robberies through his aerial photography business, in an attempt to hide the source of these funds.
For the feds, it brought a sense of closure to be able to stamp captured on all the surveillance photos they had distributed of the serial bank robber and his truck over the last 4 and a half years. It took them a while, but the feds think they got their guy.
Chris Zajac, FBI Special Agent in Charge said, "It's a message to all that we don't give up, we don't give up. This was a 4 year plus investigation."
If Richard Boyle is convicted, he is doomed to spend 200 years of mandatory prison time. In another words, the rest of his natural life behind bars.
The FBI's list of robberies Boyle was allegedly responsible for include:
6/8/2012 - Colonial American Bank; 300 Welsh Road - Horsham, Pennsylvania
9/28/2012 - First Federal Bank; 803 Park Avenue - Wrightstown, Pennsylvania
1/18/2013 - Wells Fargo Bank; 706 Stony Hill Road - Yardley, Pennsylvania
3/30/2013 - PNC Bank; 1015 South Bethlehem Pike - Ambler, Pennsylvania
5/24/2013 - Harleysville Savings Bank; 1889 East Ridge Pike - Royersford, Pennsylvania
5/24/2013 - Univest Bank; 4285 Township Line Road - Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
8/30/2013 - Wells Fargo Bank; 25 West Skippack Pike - Ambler, Pennsylvania
1/2/2014 - First Priority Bank; 10 Sentry Parkway - Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
1/6/2015 - Wells Fargo Bank; 481 West Germantown Pike - Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania
7/3/2015 - Wells Fargo Bank; 1675 Limekiln Pike - Dresher, Pennsylvania
7/2/2016 - PNC Bank; 1216 Welsh Road - North Wales, Pennsylvania
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