SEATTLE – A Monroe man who escaped on an inflatable raft on Woods Creek after holding up an armored truck in Monroe has been sentenced to six years in federal prison.
Anthony Curcio, 28, made off with about $400,000 after spraying an armored car driver with Mace outside a Bank of America in September. He recruited unsuspecting decoys on Craigslist to throw police off his trail and used a blow-up raft to escape after the heist.
Curcio pleaded guilty in May. A federal judge today said that Curcio put the decoys at risk of being shot by the guards.
Investigators say Curcio’s cover was blown after they learned that a homeless man reported finding a wig, a can of Mace, a two-way radio and other mysterious items outside the bank two weeks before the heist, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court. The man called 911 because he didn’t want to be implicated in a crime. Before police arrived, a sport utility vehicle pulled up and the driver grabbed the items and drove off. The homeless man took down the license plate number and reported it to police.
After the hold-up, detectives connected the license plate to Curcio. They also learned that whoever robbed the bank left genetic evidence on a mask that was worn during the heist. FBI agents followed Curcio around Lake Stevens and seized a bottle of chewed tobacco and saliva that Curcio dumped in a garbage can.
Investigators matched the DNA collected at the crime scene with a sample taken from the makeshift spittoon, according to the court papers.
FBI agents continued to follow Curcio, tracking him to a Tulalip mall where he and another man were seen loading a Range Rover with shopping bags from Perry Ellis, Burberry and Coach.
Agents also learned that Curcio took several friends to Las Vegas shortly after the robbery. Curcio rented a house there and bought his guests food and drinks, according to the court documents.
A witness told investigators Curcio helped him coach the Monroe Middle School football team but on the day of the robbery he indicated he was going to be late for the game. He never showed up, court papers said.
Investigators have since learned that Curcio has been having money problems and was on the verge of losing his house to foreclosure.
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