Man who robbed city Circle K, tried robbing Dover bank the same day, pleads guilty

Thomas Hegarty, left, and surveillance image from April 9th's attempted bank robbery incident.

CONCORD - A Rochester man pleaded guilty in federal court to attempted bank robbery and robbery charges, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced today.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Thomas Hegarty, 26, entered a Circle K gas station in Rochester, around 4 a.m. on April 9. He showed the teller a hammer, and stole cash from the register.

Later that morning, Hegarty entered the Bank of America at 180 Washington St. in Dover, and passed the teller a note demanding money while indicating he had a weapon. Tellers locked themselves in an office and called the police. Hegarty jumped over the teller counter and unsuccessfully attempted to open the teller drawers before fleeing empty handed.

Investigators released surveillance photographs from the robberies to the public and identified and apprehended Hegarty later that day on Wakefield Street in Rochester. At the time of the robberies, Hegarty was on federal supervised release.

Hegarty is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 20.