Bank robber with poor spelling skills pleads guilty

BOSTON – A Massachusetts man authorities dubbed the “spelling bee bandit” because the notes he passed to tellers during multiple bank robberies in the Boston area contained the same spelling error has pleaded guilty.

Federal prosecutors say 34-year-old Jason Englen pleaded guilty Wednesday to four counts of bank robbery.

Authorities say the Chelsea man entered an Arlington bank on Oct. 31, 2016, approached a teller and handed over a note written on a deposit slip indicating a robbery was in progress, except robbery was spelled with just one “B.”

Over the next few weeks, he robbed banks in Reading, Burlington and Peabody using notes with the same misspelling. He was arrested last December.

He faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing scheduled for Feb. 28.