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Queens Bank Insists 'Majority' Of Safe Deposit Banks Weren't Breached In Brazen Hole-In-Roof Robbery
By
Jen Chung
Published May 25, 2016
Modified Jul 24, 2017
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 25, 2016
Modified Jul 24, 2017
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The daring robbery of the Maspeth Savings Bank involved the thieves constructing a "privacy" scaffolding on the roof so passers-by couldn't see them cutting a hole in the roof. NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said, "They are pros, because they cut the video cameras."
Authorities believe that the robbers, who struck the Rego Park bank location sometime between Saturday afternoon and Monday morning, may be involved with nine other bank robberies where the perpetrators gain access by creating a hole in the roof. One law enforcement official told JP Updates that the suspects are a "group of Albanian men."
News helicopters captured the sight of safety deposit boxes sitting on the bank's roof. The bank's spokesman issued a statement saying that all the boxes were insured:
Maspeth Federal Savings is continuing to work with the authorities as they perform their forensic investigation at the Rego Park branch. Once the authorities complete their onsite investigation, and give us access to the branch, Maspeth Federal Savings will have to perform its own internal forensic investigation before allowing customer access. We are hopeful these investigations will be finished by the end of this week.
We understand our customers desire to know if their safe deposit box was affected and inspect them as soon as possible.
In order to accomplish this in the most expedient, and orderly, way possible, we plan to start reaching out to people whose safe deposit boxes were breached and schedule appointments with them to discuss what contents were stolen.
The exact number of boxes that were breached, and who they belonged to, is still being determined. As we work with the authorities to identify the customers, we will call them to set up appointments at their earliest convenience. The outreach to schedule these appointments should start later this week.
Following the people with affected boxes, we will schedule appointments with all who have rented boxes but which were not breached. The majority of boxes were not breached.
Once the customers with affected boxes have reviewed what was stolen, we plan to work with them and our insurance company to help file claims. All boxes are covered by insurance as part of the rental agreement.
Some bank customers are frantic—one told WCBS 2, "I had bonds, savings bonds, I had a lot of them though. I imagine they probably got them.I don’t know," while another complained that the bank was closed to inquiries, "They don’ have the decency to call the person who’s been robbed? They can’t pick up a phone and make a phone call?”
Tagged
bank heist
bank robbery
maspeth federal savings bank
queens
safe deposit box
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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