CONCORD, N.H. — A man here is facing up to six years in prison for pressuring a woman to “prove her love” by robbing a bank for him.
Meanwhile, in another state, a man has been charged with dressing like a woman as part of a robbery attempt.
In New Hampshire, Derek Potocki, 31, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to aiding and abetting a bank robbery. According to the Manchester Union Leader, in court documents and statements made in court, Potocki pressured Melissa Boucher, 27, to rob Members First Credit Union in 2015.
The court documents allege Potocki selected the CU to be robbed and provided Boucher with instructions on how to dress and disguise her appearance, which included her coloring her hands with red ink as a distraction. A demand note was written using pink highlighter, police said.
Court documents say Boucher and Potocki walked the two blocks from their rooming house to the credit union where Boucher, who was unarmed, entered the credit union and handed a teller a note that said, “Give me all your 10s, 50s, and large bills from the bottom drawer. You have 20 seconds.”
The teller handed over $6,250 to Boucher, who ran from the bank, according to court records and the Union Leader.
After leaving Members First, Boucher shed her outer layer of clothes as directed by Potocki. The two met up at their home, where they split the stolen funds.
Police said Boucher used a portion of her money to buy heroin just after the robbery. About 10:45 a.m., her building superintendent called 911 to report a possible overdose. The Manchester Union Leader reported that emergency personnel arrived and administered Narcan.
“As Boucher was being resuscitated, cash totaling $2,090 fell out of her bra. Another $640 was found in her purse,” the Union Leader reported. “A pink highlighter police say was used to write the demand note was in her apartment, according to court documents.
Police said Boucher provided a statement admitting to robbing the bank and said that Potocki had put her up to it. Boucher pleaded guilty to her part in the robbery and is to be sentenced Sept. 9.
Meanwhile, in York Township, Penn., a man who dressed like a woman to allegedly rob a credit union branch here, has been arrested. Police said that Eric Stacey Reaves, 46, has been charged with the CU robbery attempt, as well as two other robberies in which he allegedly also dressed as a woman. He is being held in York County Prison in lieu of $750,000 bail.
According to police, Reaves was wearing a long dress and brown wig when he entered the Americhoice Federal Credit Union branch. But he was unable to get access to the lobby, because a set of interior doors at the credit union were locked. Reaves took off, but two York Area Regional Police officers arrested him approximately 100 yards from the credit union.