Police: Centerport man committed bank robbery spree

By Andrew Wroblewski

awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

A Centerport man was arrested Friday for allegedly robbing three banks and attempting to rob another over less than three weeks this month, Suffolk police said.

Frank Marquez, who police say struck banks in Farmingdale, Huntington, Deer Park and North Babylon, was arrested at 10:23 a.m. in Greenlawn after he was identified through video surveillance and tips left with Crime Stoppers. Police said they monitored his residence, and when he drove off, he was pulled over on Pulaski Road near Butterfield Drive.

He was charged with three counts of robbery in the third degree, one count of attempted robbery in the third degree and aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree for driving with a suspended license.

Police say Marquez, 46, first struck TD Bank in Farmingdale on July 7. A week later on July 14, Marquez attempted to rob a People’s United Bank in Huntington, but was unsuccessful when a teller refused to hand over money. Marquez and went on to successfully rob a TD Bank in Deer Park a few hours later and robbed a Capital One in North Babylon on  July 21, police said.

Marquez is being held overnight and is scheduled for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip on Saturday.

The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.