By Owen Boss, November 18, 2016

A semi-literate Bay State bank robber — dubbed the “Spelling Bee Bandit” because his hold-up notes misspell the word “robbery” — is wanted in a handful of recent Greater Boston heists, and authorities are now offering up to $1,000 for tips leading to his capture.

The FBI says the robber’s M.O. is the same in four robberies so far. He enters the bank wearing a baseball cap, puts on a pair of sunglasses, scrawls the word “Robery” on the back of a withdrawal slip, slides it to a teller and makes off with the haul.

Although the FBI has given the man a mocking nickname, federal officials are warning that the unidentified suspect could be dangerous and that he’s become increasingly aggressive with the tellers during his crime spree.

“He has become increasingly aggressive with the tellers both in his physical interactions and his verbal interactions,” said Daniel R. Romanzo, the supervisory special agent in charge of FBI Boston’s Violent Crimes Task Force. “The individual has been leaning over the teller counter to interact with the tellers and the tone of his voice has become more aggressive toward the teller ... and it has resulted in a greater loss to the banks for each of the robberies.”

The brazen “rober” is described as a slim white man in his late 30s or early 40s, between 5’11” and 6’2” with dark hair, a beard and a “local accent.”

Peabody cops responding to a reported bank robbery about 1 p.m. Sunday at the TD Bank on Lynnfield Street pulled surveillance footage of the suspect and recognized him as the man investigators believe is behind three similar robberies over a two-week period. Those robberies occurred Oct. 31 at the TD Bank on Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington; Nov. 5 at the TD Bank on Main Street in Reading; and Nov. 7 at the Salem Five Bank on Cambridge Street in Burlington, authorities say.

In the hopes of helping authorities find the “Spelling Bee Bandit,” the MassMostWanted Tip Program is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to his arrest. Anyone with information is urged to call the FBI Boston Division’s Violent Crime Task Force at 857-386-2000.

“We would like the public’s help to help identify this guy not only for the safety of the tellers but also for the public in general,” Romanzo told the Herald.

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