Man admits robbing 14 banks in Pa., N.J.

Before they knew his name, investigators referred to Joseph McAdams as the "Closing Time Bandit."

He was a prolific bank robber, getting away with $939,000 from New Year's Eve 2001 until his arrest last fall in North Jersey.

Yesterday, McAdams, 53, admitted robbing 14 banks in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and pleaded guilty to related charges in federal court in Camden.

He faces a mandatory seven years in prison but could spend life behind bars if U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle hands down the maximum term. Sentencing is set for January.

"He was an individual who knew his technique well," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Mahajan, who described how McAdams dressed in black, including a mask, and brandished a silvered pistol. "He had quite a control and presence when he entered the banks."

At times, McAdams pulled employees by the arm or by the hair as he forced them into vaults to fill his bag with cash, Mahajan said.

McAdams, of Tobyhanna, Pa., a small town in the Poconos, always worked alone, and his success in escaping capture for eight years is somewhat unique, FBI Special Agent Michael Scimeca said.

His luck ran out in Hunterdon County.

Authorities said he walked into the Investors Savings Bank about 7 p.m. on Oct. 9, and ordered everyone to lie face-down on the floor.

Wearing dark gloves and a black mask and carrying a gun, he grabbed an employee by the neck and warned, "Don't look at me," according to court records. He then said, "Let's go clean out the vault," and ordered everyone to that area.

Next, he wanted money from the automated teller machine and told an employee, "Take a deep breath, I got nothing to lose."

Finally, he demanded money from a teller drawer.

All of the employees were ordered back into the vault, with McAdams warning, "If I see you looking out the window, I'm going to shoot you. Count to 100," according to court records.

Officials in the area were on alert for the "Closing Time Bandit," and they responded quickly. Officers got him after a chase in Whitehouse Station in a rented getaway car.

In the car, police found a loaded 9mm pistol, a black mask, and a gray bag with cash. Police recovered $135,156, including marked bank bills.

After the arrest, New Jersey and Pennsylvania officials linked McAdams to robberies in both states. Yesterday, under a plea agreement with prosecutors, McAdams pleaded guilty to 10 of the robberies, in which he netted $642,398. He admitted carrying out four others but was not charged in them.