The Chase is finally over.
With the help of fingerprints and the suspect’s own Instagram account, federal agents arrested a 31-year-old man on Thursday whom they say robbed at least two Chase bank branches in Queens last month as part of an ongoing robbery pattern.
Paul Lubin, 31, of Florida was picked up by the FBI on Jan. 5 in Rockville Centre, Long Island and faces two federal bank robbery charges for holding up the Chase bank at 111-18 Liberty Ave. in Ozone Park on Dec. 14 and another Chase bank at 54-12 48th St. in Maspeth on Dec. 27.
Detectives were able to match Lubin to the heists through an investigation that included an examination of the suspect’s Instagram account. According to the criminal complaint provided by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Lubin was seen in an Instagram photo wearing what appeared to be the same sweatshirt that the suspect in the Maspeth bank robbery was seen wearing in security camera images captured at the scene.
Additional charges are pending against Lubin in connection with four other Chase bank robberies across Queens dating back to September of last year. Law enforcement sources said he is also suspected of robbing a bank in Tampa, FL, last November.
In the Ozone Park and Maspeth robberies, federal agents said, Lubin allegedly passed demand notes to the teller demanding cash. The notes said virtually the same thing: the suspect allegedly claimed to be “heavily armed” and demanded that the teller “put $5,000 in one envelope.”
The note further advised the teller not to “piss [him] off” and that “Everyone’s safety depends all on you!” Fingerprints picked up from the Ozone Park demand note matched Lubin’s fingerprints, authorities said.
Lubin was provided with $1,000 in cash during the Ozone Park heist and $5,000 from the Maspeth location.
