CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – United States Attorney Tom Colantuono and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Field Office Warren Bamford, report that Stephen M. Butler of Brockton, Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison for robbing the Vista Foods grocery store in Manchester and robbing eight other businesses in Massachusetts and two Massachusetts banks.

On August 30, 2005, Butler robbed the Vista Foods grocery store on Wilson Street in Manchester, New Hampshire. Butler entered the store at about 9:00 p.m. and brandished what appeared to be a rifle. He ordered several employees into a small office and demanded that they turn over all the cash proceeds the store had on hand. Butler threatened to shoot the employees if they did not follow his commands. The employees complied with Butler’s directions and he ran out of the store with the stolen funds.

Shortly after the robbery, Manchester police recovered Butler’s rifle near the grocery store where Butler had dropped it as he fled the scene. They determined that it was a pellet gun that had been modified to resemble a sawed-off shotgun.

The Manchester Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a joint investigation of the robbery, which ultimately led to a federal warrant being issued for Butler’s arrest. On September 22, 2005, FBI agents and Braintree, Massachusetts, police officers located Butler at a hotel in Braintree, Massachusetts. As Butler was leaving the hotel parking lot, the agents and officers moved in to arrest him. In the course of the arrest, an FBI agent shot Butler, who was menacing other agents and officers with his car.

Subsequent investigation revealed that between December, 2004, and late September, 2005, Butler had robbed eight other businesses in Massachusetts and two Massachusetts banks. Butler committed one of the bank robberies on the morning of the day he was arrested. These robberies included the following:

- On December 13, 2004, Butler robbed a Roach Bros. grocery store in Burlington, Massachusetts;
- On March 30, 2005, Butler robbed a Ninety Nine restaurant in Rockland, Massachusetts;
- On May 18, 2005, Butler robbed a Blockbuster Video store in Quincy, Massachusetts;
- On May 19, 2005, Butler robbed a Blockbuster Video store in Hanover, Massachusetts;
- On July 18, 2005, Butler robbed a Chili’s Restaurant in Brockton, Massachusetts;
- On July 19, 2005, Butler robbed a Sudbury Farms grocery store in Needham, Massachusetts;
- On June 22, 2005, Butler robbed a McDonald’s Restaurant in Brockton, Massachusetts; and
- On August 11, 2005, Butler robbed a Residence Inn in Brockton, Massachusetts.

Additionally, on January 25, 2005, Butler robbed a branch of the Community Bank in Brockton, Massachusetts, and on September 22, 2005, he robbed a branch of the Eastern Bank in Danvers, Massachusetts. In many of these robberies, Butler brandished what appeared to be a gun and threatened to shoot employees of the businesses if they did not comply with his demands to turn over money.

On March 14, 2008, Butler pleaded guilty to robbing the Manchester Vista Foods store and to robbing the various businesses and banks in Massachusetts. Today, in United States District Court in Concord, New Hampshire, he was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, the maximum sentence available under federal law for robbing a business or a bank. The court also ordered that Butler pay restitution totaling $66,198 and that he serve 3 years of supervised release when he completes serving his sentence.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Manchester Police Department, and various Massachusetts police departments including the Braintree Police Department, the Brockton Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Rockland Police Department, the Quincy Police Department, the Hanover Police Department, the Needham Police Department, and the Danvers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman.