W.Phila. man nabbed in 2 bank heists

Philadelphia police announced the arrest yesterday of Terrence Wilson, 29, in connection with two Center City bank robberies last week.

Police from the Major Crimes Unit's Violent Offender Task Force and FBI agents arrested Wilson without incident at his West Philadelphia home, on Walnut Street near 50th, about 10 a.m. on Monday, said police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore.

Wilson allegedly robbed the Bank of America, 16th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, on Friday afternoon, and Citizens' Bank, on Market Street near 15th, Saturday morning. In each robbery, he threatened tellers, saying that he had a bomb, and demanded cash, netting a total of $5,000, police said.

FBI Special Agent Tom Perzichilli said that Wilson had been identified with the help of several tips stemming from media coverage, including one source who phoned in with an address after recognizing surveillance photos of Wilson in the Daily News.

Wilson is charged with two counts each of robbery, making terroristic threats, theft, receiving stolen property and related charges. Vanore said that he was charged locally, not federally.

Wilson has had 12 arrests dating back to 2001 including several for theft, with the most recent in 2007, Vanore said.

He noted that Wilson lived on the same block of Walnut Street as alleged bank robber Jerry Lee Stanton, 59, who was charged with robbing the Citizens' Bank at 20th and Market streets last week. *