Alleged suspect in four Burlington-area bank robberies arrested, according to police chief

Burlington police arrested a man Friday who they say robbed three banks in Burlington and one in Winooski in the past week, according to Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad.

James Plunkett, 39, of Burlington, was arrested Friday on Riverside Boulevard, Murad said. He was the prime suspect in a series of bank robberies in Burlington and Winooski.

According to Burlington police, Plunkett broke into three Burlington banks — Opportunities Credit Union, KeyBank and M&T Bank — and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash after telling employees he had a bomb.

He was also quoted previous news as the prime suspect in the robbery of the TD Bank on East Allen Street in Winooski.

In each of the incidents, Plunkett was seen on security footage and in one video he was seen fleeing the bank on his bike. Police said he robbed Opportunities Credit Union on North Avenue on Oct. 31, KeyBank on Bank Street on Oct. 28 and M&T Bank on Pine Street on Oct. 26. He told employees at M&T and Opportunities Credit Union that he had carried bombs before. He escapes with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Plunkett has a lengthy criminal history that includes three assault charges, seven felony charges, 20 misdemeanor charges and 76 incidents dating back to 2011, according to a Burlington police press release. Police said the man was seen in a separate video this month trying to break into a home in Burlington’s New North End.

“Once again, I am deeply appreciative and impressed with the quality of our city’s investigative team,” Murad said in a press release. “I also extend my sincere thanks to the South Burlington Police Department, Winooski Police Department, and the Vermont State Police Northern Drug Task Force for their contributions to this investigation and arrest.”

South Burlington has also been hit with two bank robberies in recent weeks. On Oct. 29, a man entered the EastRise Credit Union on Shelburne Road in South Burlington demanding money, according to a police press release. Police said the man told the bank teller he was armed with an “incendiary device.”

South Burlington Police Chief Shawn Burke said his department is working closely with the Burlington department, but they do not believe Plunkett is a suspect in the Oct. 29 robbery.

“We believe our robbery was carried out by another person and we are trying to understand whether Plunkett was working with others or whether ours was working alone,” he said.

The robbery occurred a little more than a month after the Sept. 25 robbery of KeyBank on Shelburne Road in South Burlington, Burke said. Police are investigating whether there is a connection between this case and the incident at EastRise Credit Union.

Burke said robberies in the area are unusual, but it’s also common to see repeated robberies by lone individuals.

“This is a trend we haven’t seen in a few years, that’s for sure,” Burke said. “Usually, once you have one, it’s pretty predictable that he’ll have two or three before he catches that person.”

Sarah Ruane, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Albany division, said the federal agency is aware of incidents in both cities and is “assisting our law enforcement partners as needed.”