Bail set for Boston man after North Shore bank robbery spree

SALEM – A Boston man who allegedly went on a three-month crime spree robbing two banks in Lynn and one in Salem beginning in February will have to come up with $25,000 cash bail in order to get out of the Middleton Jail pending his trial.Jeremy Grafton, 26, of 41 Bowdoin St., #36, Boston, pleaded innocent at his arraignment Monday to two counts of armed robbery as well as a single count of unarmed robbery before Salem Superior Court Judge Howard J. Whitehead.Assistant District Attorney Jean M. Curran requested that the same bail amount of $100,000 set earlier in Lynn District Court be imposed as she cited the facts of the charges.On Feb. 12, Grafton allegedly robbed an undetermined amount of cash from the Sovereign Bank located at 35 Market Square in Lynn.Then on March 24, he allegedly stole money from the Eastern Bank branch on Market Street in Lynn and on May 13 he allegedly the Eastern Bank branch on Traders Way in Salem.Curran said Grafton was arrested May 27 after robbing the Century Bank at 2 State Street in Lynn.He walked into the bank just after 4 p.m., reportedly handed a note to the teller that read “I have gun. Empty out the cash draw. No dyes.”The teller turned over the cash and he fled, but unbeknownst to the robber, the bank manager chased the robber to the waiting taxi and told the cab driver to stop as Grafton yelled, “Go, go, go.”Police quickly arrived at the scene and arrested Grafton.Curran said authorities found several bank type notes in his pocket along with the stolen money.Authorities learned from their investigation that Grafton would sometimes wear glasses in the robberies and sometimes have a beard that he dyed different colors.When they searched his apartment, police said they found dye in his room.In all the bank holdups a note was presented to the teller, in which the word “drawer” was always misspelled, Curran noted.Using the bank surveillance tapes, clothing and videos, the state was able to build their case against Grafton, she told Whitehead.Defense lawyer Rebecca Whitehill asked for Grafton to be released on personal recognizance or, in the alternative, a more “reasonable bail,” under the circumstances.She said Grafton was born in Boston, has been involved with the Department of Mental Health under the doctors care and has been hospitalized for mental health issues at least once.His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 23 for a pretrial conference.Grafton had pleaded innocent earlier to the May 27 holdup of the Century Bank in Lynn.