NAPD Helped Nab 'Bandit,' Suspect Held Without Bail

The so-called "Merrimack Valley Bandit" suspect arrested in Salem on April 23 was arrainged at U.S. District Court in Boston today and ordered held without bail, according to the Lowell Sun.

Rafael Beamud, Jr., 32, of Lowell was charged with armed bank robbery for a Feb. 21 robbery at TD Bank in Methuen, Mass.

The criminal complaint references 14 bank robberies, including the Methuen hit, all taking place throughout the Merrimack Valley area of Massachusetts and York County, Maine.

According to sworn testimony from Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Laurence Travaglia, Beamud was arrested on a routine traffic stop in Salem on April 23 and detained pending the arrival of other federal and state law enforcement officers.

During the traffic stop, Beamud quickly exited the vehicle and began to walk away. Salem Detective Michael Bernard ordered him to stop, recognizing him from prior investigations.

A safety pat-frisk turned up approximately $1,500 in cash, with Bernard noting that there were traces of red on some of the bills.

The "Bandit" didn't rob any banks in North Andover, but police -- both state and local -- weren't taking any chances and had enhanced patrols around the town's banks.

North Andover Tip

And as it turns out, a tip received by North Andover Police Detective Daniel Cronin led to the arrest.

"Detective Cronin, along with other detectives, was aware of what was going on in Merrimack Valley and we made a preemptive strike," North Andover Police Lt. Charles Gray said. Cronin researched the tip -- Gray would not go into detail about the tip -- and notified area police departments to be on the look-out for Beamud as a suspect.

"I think a lot of the bank employees are probably relieved," Gray said. "We're not going to completely relax, as we never do, but there's a little sigh of relief that the person was caught.

The Admission

After transport to North Andover, Beamud later admitted that the maroon-colored Kia SUV that he was arrested in contained the black .380 handgun that he used during the robberies, bullets, a mask and other articles of clothing used. Beamud said the car also contained oxycodone pills which he obtained during a pharmacy robbery in New Hampshire.

Beamud told investigators that he used the SUV in all but two other bank robberies.

Beamud also admitted that he was the individual shown in a TD Bank surveillance photo wearing a blue jacket and gray "hoodie." He said that he brought the handgun without the ammunition clip into the bank, along with plastic shopping bags.

A total of $4,162 was stolen in the Methuen robbery, according to Travaglia's testimony.

One of the plastic shopping bags was left behind at TD Bank, turning up three fingerprints that helped Massachusetts State Police identify Beamud as a suspect.

Special Agent Todd Prough of the Drug Enforcement Administration was also able to recognize Beamud in several robbery surveillance photos from prior investigative dealings with him. That information was relayed by Prough to Methuen Police.

A Troubled Past

Salem Police have had their fair share of run-ins with Beamud.

A former Salem resident, Beamud was arrested in Salem earlier this year on drug charges, as reported by Salem Patch. He was charged with felony possession of a controlled drug (cocaine) and transportation of a controlled drug (cocaine) in a Salem school parking lot.

He is also the only suspect in a 2012 arson in which his own Salem home burned to the ground.

Beamud lived in Salem up until the time the home burned down, according to Salem Deputy Chief Shawn Patten. In the time since, Patten said Beamud Jr. frequented the Salem area.

In September of last year, Beamud's father, night club owner and retired Cambridge Police Detective Rafael Beamud, made headlines when a fugitive from New Hampshire -- accused of dealing drugs -- was apprehended in Beamud's home.

For the entire criminal complaint, see the attached PDF.