Jamaine Howell, Bank Robbery, Massachusetts 2021

An armed bank robbery in Allston shocked the community in February 2021. On February 7, 2021, Jamaine Howell, 36, entered a TD Bank branch on Commonwealth Avenue in Allston and handed a demand note and a plastic bag to the teller. Howell threatened the teller and stated that he had a gun. He then threatened two bank customers and displayed a firearm. After taking the plastic bag, containing approximately $5,900, from the teller, Howell instructed one of the customers to leave the bank with him.

However, the customer managed to flee while Howell was distracted, leaving the defendant to walk about a block alone. At the time, Howell was on probation for previous armed robbery convictions. This brazen move would eventually lead to his downfall.

Later that week, police received a report that Howell brandished a firearm at a guest at a hotel in Sharon. On February 16, 2021, Howell was arrested and found armed with a loaded .45 caliber Ruger handgun. A loaded semi-automatic shotgun was also found in a vehicle that had previously been rented to Howell.

The investigation into the armed bank robbery was a joint effort between the Boston, Sharon, and Lynn Police Departments. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement yesterday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

Jamaine Howell, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release. This sentence comes after Howell pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence on January 5, 2023.

This case serves as a reminder that the consequences of committing a crime can be severe and long-lasting. The community can rest a little easier knowing that justice has been served in this case.

Jamaine Howell’s sentence will run concurrently with any other sentences he may be serving at the time of his release from prison. He will be eligible for release after serving 9 years of his 14-year sentence, with 5 years of supervised release to follow.

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