Unlucky Bank Robber Pleads Guilty

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The saga of a man who may be the city's unluckiest bank robber ended Thursday with a guilty plea.

Michael V. Donahoe got $2,000 from a teller at a downtown bank he robbed Oct. 14. But he didn't get far, because a witness followed him out of the bank and blocked the way when he tried to escape in a taxi.

It only got worse after that.

The teller had put a dye pack in with the stolen money. It exploded in front of the lunchtime crowd, including two FBI agents who happened to be eating nearby. They marched Donahoe back to the bank, careful not to get stained by the red ink all over his hands and clothes. Bank employees identified him as the robber.

In court Thursday, Donahoe, who prosecutors said had no weapon, also admitted robbing two other downtown banks in September, making off with about $4,800. Donahoe, 53, could get more than four years in prison when he is sentenced March 9.