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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 Feds charge suspect in armored car heist By Diana Hefley Herald Writer SEATTLE -- A Lake Stevens man accused of holding up an armored truck and escaping on an inner tube on Woods Creek has been charged with a federal crime. Anthony Curcio, 28, is accused of making off with about $400,000 after spraying an armored car driver with Mace outside a Bank of America in September. Investigators believe Curcio recruited unsuspecting decoys on Craigslist to throw police off his trail. He is charged with interference with commerce and appeared Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. A detention hearing is scheduled Monday. Investigators say Curcio's cover was blown after they learned that a homeless man reported finding a wig, a can of Mace, a two-way radio and other mysterious items outside the bank two weeks before the heist, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court. The man called 911 because he didn't want to be implicated in a crime. Before police arrived, a sport utility vehicle pulled up and the driver grabbed the items and drove off. The homeless man took down the license plate number and reported it to police. After the hold-up, detectives connected the license plate to Curcio. They also learned that whoever robbed the bank left genetic evidence on a mask that was worn during the heist. FBI agents followed Curcio around Lake Stevens and seized a bottle of chewed tobacco and saliva that Curcio dumped in a garbage can. Investigators matched the DNA collected at the crime scene with a sample taken from the makeshift spittoon, according to the court papers. FBI agents continued to follow Curcio, tracking him to a Tulalip mall where he and another man were seen loading a Range Rover with shopping bags from Perry Ellis, Burberry and Coach. Agents also learned that Curcio took several friends to Las Vegas shortly after the robbery. Curcio rented a house there and bought his guests food and drinks, according to the court documents. A witness told investigators Curcio helped him coach the Monroe Middle School football team but on the day of the robbery he indicated he was going to be late for the game. He never showed up, court papers said. Investigators have since learned that Curcio has been having money problems and was on the verge of losing his house to foreclosure. When he was arrested, Curcio was moving a lockbox holding $17,000 to his truck, court papers said. He also had $2,500 in cash on him. Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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