Man faces more bank robbery charges

A Uniondale man facing charges in an East Meadow bank robbery in November has been linked to two more bank heists in Nassau County, police said Wednesday.

He'd demand bills in hundreds, fifties and twenties - and would warn the teller: no dye pack, said Det. Sgt. John Giambrone, the police robbery squad commanding officer.

"That's his M.O.," Giambrone said.

Nassau County police arrested Barry Costa, 54, of 732 Northgate Dr., on Nov. 17, after he had allegedly robbed a Capital One Bank at 369 Merrick Ave. five days earlier, according to police.

Robbery squad detectives zeroed in on Costa after a member of the police department who'd dealt with Costa on a prior drug case recognized him from the wanted poster, Giambrone said.

Cops picked him up at the Courtesy Hotel in West Hempstead, Giambrone said.

While he was in custody, police said they linked Costa to two more robberies, one on Nov. 4 in East Meadow, another Nov. 15 in Westbury.

Giambrone declined to elaborate on the evidence that linked Costa to the robberies but noted that the pattern in all three crimes was the same.

He was arraigned on the two additional robbery charges Tuesday in First District Court in Hempstead, police said. He was being held on $10,000 bond or $20,000 cash bail and is due back in court Thursday.

On Nov. 4, Costa entered a Roslyn Savings Bank inside a Pathmark supermarket at 1897 Front St., Hempstead, and demanded cash from the tellers, police said. After the tellers complied, Costa fled on foot with an undetermined amount of cash.

No weapon was used in that robbery, police said, but on Nov. 15, Costa allegedly threatened use of a gun when he robbed the Bethpage Federal Credit Union, 750 Old Country Rd., Westbury. He demanded cash from a teller and fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money, police said.

No one was injured in the three robberies.