OAKLAND — A 30-year-old Oakland man has been charged in connection with a series of Alameda County bank robberies dating back to last October, authorities said.
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Naikano Tuipulotu was arrested Wednesday and made his initial appearance the following day in federal court in Oakland, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
A criminal complaint charges Tuipulotu with one count of bank robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Three bank robberies and two attempted bank robberies happened between Oct. 23 and Jan. 13, according to an affidavit attached to the criminal complaint. In each case, the suspect passed a handwritten note stating he had a gun and demanding cash.
Tuipulotu’s fingerprints were found on the notes, which were left at the scene, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit also detailed other evidence linking Tuipulotu to the cases, including a tattoo on his right hand that matched one seen on the suspect. License plate readers also captured Tuipulotu’s car heading to and from the scene of at least one bank robbery.
In addition, shoes found at Tuipulotu’s home matched those worn by the suspect, according to the affidavit.
The crime spree started Oct. 23 in San Leandro with the attempted robbery of a Chase Bank and the robbery of a Bank of the West, according to the affidavit. Robberies also happened Nov. 9 at a Patelco Credit Union in Hayward and Jan. 6 at a Citibank in Fremont. Finally, an attempted robbery was reported Jan. 13 at a Wells Fargo in Hayward.
A total of $1,790 was taken between the three successful robberies, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit noted that Tuipulotu was convicted of bank robbery in 2017. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison but released last March. At the time of the alleged crimes, Tuipulotu was on active parole with the California Department of Corrections.
Tuipulotu remains in custody and is slated to make his next court appearance on Feb. 21, authorities said.
