CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE: United States Attorney Tom Colantuono, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Field Office Kenneth W. Kaiser, and Hollis Police Chief Russell Ux announced that Louis Difazio, Jr., 49, of Massachusetts, was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to committing the April 27, 2005 robbery of the Bank of America in Hollis, New Hampshire. DiFazio was also sentenced to three years of supervised release which will begin after he is released from prison. During the period of supervised release, DiFazio’s behavior will be monitored by the United States Probation Office. On May 11, 2005 a federal grand jury charged DiFazio with bank robbery.

December 6, 2005, a jury was selected for the start of a trial that had already begun, but DiFazio agreed to plead guilty before the first witness was called. DiFazio pleaded guilty to robbing the bank in the early afternoon of April 27, 2005. DiFazio, wielding what appeared to be a small handgun, jumped over the teller’s counter and screamed that he wanted the money from the teller drawers. He left the bank a little under one minute later with more than $21,000.

U.S. Attorney Colantuono stated: “The Department of Justice is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting violent criminals. This office will continue to work with law enforcement agencies at all levels to remove these threats to public safety from the streets. This case is an excellent example of the good results that can be obtained when federal, state and local officials work together towards a common goal.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hollis Police Department, and the New Hampshire State Police participated in the investigation of this case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Feith.