Third Square Robbery Suspect Is Identified

Federal agents have identified the third suspect in the foiled armoredcar robbery attempt in Harvard Square on March 1.

Charlestown resident Richard Brennan, who police identified as 25 or 26 years old, fled the scene after a Brinks guard opened fire and injured two other would-be robbers.

Brennan is described as a "cleancut" white male with light-brown hair, around 6 feet in height, and weighing about 180 pounds.

Law enforcement authorities say they have no leads on Brennan's whereabouts.

"We believe he had left the [Charlestown] area and returned to the area," said FBI special agent Peter S. Ginieres said.

"We're not quite sure where he is right now," he added. "Our belief is he's in the Charlestown area. He is still at large."

Other Suspects

The other suspects, Keith A. Leahy, 24, and Brendon F. Smith, 24, both of Charlestown, were shot as they attempted to escape in a getaway car with $281,000 in cash.

Brinks, an armored-car company based in Darien, Conn., is offering $10,000 for information leading to Brennan's arrest and conviction.

Ginieres said the large reward was unusual but not unprecedented. Brinks and Wells Fargo, another armored-car company, offered a reward after a successful heist from outside Faneuil Hall in January. The Boston FBIdoes not offer rewards itself, Ginieres said.

Affidavit

According to a state police affidavit recentlyreleased by the FBI, Smith pointed his gun at theBrinks guard, William B. Crowley, 26, as Crowleywheeled two bags of currency into the Bank ofBoston branch on Mass. Ave.

Smith ran off with the larger of the two bags,but Crowley sprinted after him.

"When the guard was only 15 to 18 feet from therobber, the robber turned back towards the guardand pointed a gun at him. At that point, theBrinks guard began firing his service revolver atthe robber," State Police Sgt. Michael F. Tobinwrote in the March affidavit.

Smith apparently climbed into the getaway car,a Buick Century, and Leahy attempted to drive off,but their car crashed into another parked vehicleon Dunster St.

Crowley, a former Washington, D.C. policeofficer, was not wounded.

According to the affidavit, Brennan "walkedaway quickly in a crouched or hunched overposition, as if he had been shot in the shoulder"and pulled off a fake beard as he headed towardMt. Auburn St.

Police later recovered a beige jacket on a rampoutside University Health Services, and shut downHolyoke Center for two hours as agentsunsuccessfully searched offices.

"Until we have him in custody, we won't be ableto match blood type and DNA and such," Ginieressaid. "We're very confident that Mr. Brennan has a[bullet] entry and exit wound somewhere on hisperson that will obviously undergo someinvestigative scrutiny once we locate him."

Leahy and Smith originally faced six statecriminal charges each, including assault withintent to murder and armed robbery while masked.

But the federal government assumed jurisdictionof the case, and both now face charges ofobstructing interstate commerce through robbery,and using firearms during the robbery. Both are infederal custody, and their trial in U.S. DistrictCourt is set to start early next month.

The hunt for Brennan is being conducted by theBank Robbery Task Force, which includes agentsfrom the FBI, the Massachusetts State Police andthe Boston and Cambridge police departments.

The agent said authorities have not found tiesbetween the Harvard Square robbery attempt andother heists, such as the Faneuil Hall theft andan earlier one in New Hampshire. "No links havebeen established to any previous armored-carheist," Ginieres said

Affidavit

According to a state police affidavit recentlyreleased by the FBI, Smith pointed his gun at theBrinks guard, William B. Crowley, 26, as Crowleywheeled two bags of currency into the Bank ofBoston branch on Mass. Ave.

Smith ran off with the larger of the two bags,but Crowley sprinted after him.

"When the guard was only 15 to 18 feet from therobber, the robber turned back towards the guardand pointed a gun at him. At that point, theBrinks guard began firing his service revolver atthe robber," State Police Sgt. Michael F. Tobinwrote in the March affidavit.

Smith apparently climbed into the getaway car,a Buick Century, and Leahy attempted to drive off,but their car crashed into another parked vehicleon Dunster St.

Crowley, a former Washington, D.C. policeofficer, was not wounded.

According to the affidavit, Brennan "walkedaway quickly in a crouched or hunched overposition, as if he had been shot in the shoulder"and pulled off a fake beard as he headed towardMt. Auburn St.

Police later recovered a beige jacket on a rampoutside University Health Services, and shut downHolyoke Center for two hours as agentsunsuccessfully searched offices.

"Until we have him in custody, we won't be ableto match blood type and DNA and such," Ginieressaid. "We're very confident that Mr. Brennan has a[bullet] entry and exit wound somewhere on hisperson that will obviously undergo someinvestigative scrutiny once we locate him."

Leahy and Smith originally faced six statecriminal charges each, including assault withintent to murder and armed robbery while masked.

But the federal government assumed jurisdictionof the case, and both now face charges ofobstructing interstate commerce through robbery,and using firearms during the robbery. Both are infederal custody, and their trial in U.S. DistrictCourt is set to start early next month.

The hunt for Brennan is being conducted by theBank Robbery Task Force, which includes agentsfrom the FBI, the Massachusetts State Police andthe Boston and Cambridge police departments.

The agent said authorities have not found tiesbetween the Harvard Square robbery attempt andother heists, such as the Faneuil Hall theft andan earlier one in New Hampshire. "No links havebeen established to any previous armored-carheist," Ginieres said