Federal agents tracked down a convicted bank robber on Monday linked to a series of recent attempted heists in Queens and Brooklyn.
John Grant, 50, was taken into federal custody on June 18 on charges related to a robbery attempts at Chase bank on the morning of June 8 in Brooklyn. Police sources said charges are also pending against him for an attempted heist in Ridgewood on June 8 and a pair of robbery bids in Middle Village on June 14.
According to law enforcement sources, Grant allegedly paid a visit to the Chase bank located at 51-15 Metropolitan Ave. at 9:55 a.m. on June 8. In that incident, police said, Grant allegedly approached a teller and presented a note demanding cash.
After the employee refused to comply with his request, authorities noted, Grant fled the scene inside a dark-colored Toyota Prius. At 10:25 a.m. that same morning, federal agents said, he made a similar attempt to swipe cash from a Chase bank on Grand Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Six days later, at about 11 a.m. on June 14, Grant allegedly showed up at the Chase bank located at 74-07 Eliot Ave. in Middle Village. He again presented a demand note to the teller, then wound up leaving the bank empty-handed after his request was rebuffed.
Police said Grant then headed over to the Chase bank at 74-03 Metropolitan Ave., about 3/4 of a mile from the Eliot Avenue location. Upon arriving there, he presented a demand note to the teller and was provided with $1,395 in cash.
Grant’s last known address is on Kosciuszko Street in Brooklyn. According to court records, he was arrested in December 2016 for an attempted bank robbery in Queens.
Grant pleaded guilty to charges in that caper and was sentenced in May 2017 to serve between 2 1/2 and 5 years behind bars; however, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, he wound up being paroled in March of this year.
