"Burly Bandit" Bus Driver Pleads Guilty

The FBI nicknamed Robert Ferguson, 47, the "Burly Bandit" due to his shape, but his size did nothing to slow him down from committing no less than 11 bank robberies and stealing more than $100,000, as reported by the Associated Press for Yahoo News.

Prosecutors state that Ferguson, of Lowell, Mass., worked as a Greyhound bus driver and robbed most of the communities on his route. 

He pleaded guilty on October 1 in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Maine, to all 11 robberies that began last April in Buffalo, N.Y.

The money stolen during the theft crimes was spent on strip clubs, restaurants, sports memorabilia and other items before his arrest in July.

Both the FBI, and other law enforcement officials, have credited the public for their help in capturing Ferguson.  U.S. Attorney Thomas Delahanty II told reporters, "It's heartening to see that the people of Maine are willing to step forward and contact police when they think they have evidence of a crime. It made the difference in this case."

Approximately $107,000 is believed to have been stolen from 11 banks and credit unions in upstate New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as stated by the Assistant U.S. Attorney, Nancy Torresen, from Bangor.

Torresen reported that almost $11,000 was discovered in the bus and a little more cash was found in Ferguson's wallet. Ferguson stated that he'd already spent the rest of the stolen money.

The list of Ferguson's expenditures include paraphernalia and stereo equipment for his car, tickets to see the Blue Man Group and the Charlie Daniels Band, an expensive Mother's Day dinner at an exclusive steakhouse and leaving between $2,000 to $3,000 a night as tips in strip clubs.

Law enforcement officials had originally thought they were looking for some type of long-haul truck driver - or anyone that had the kind of job that required them to travel in and out of many areas.

There are both federal and state charges pending in Connecticut that are being handled separately.

Ferguson told law enforcement officials that he used a couple of toy guns and BB-gun - that was made to look like a Beretta handgun - in the robberies.

A rented U-Haul truck was used as his getaway vehicle in the Bangor Savings Bank in Orono. 

After the Orono robbery several tips from the public started to surface.  It began with one witness that saw the U-Haul vehicle near the bank, then another two that worked at a Days Inn, where Ferguson had stayed, recognized him from the bank's surveillance video.

A third witness, who worked for U-Haul, reported seeing Ferguson's truck by the bank as well. Ferguson was apprehended the next day. 

Jon Haddow, Ferguson's lawyer, has not returned reporter's phone calls since the Bangor hearing.  Ferguson faces 20 to 25 years in prison for each of the 11.

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