Woman gets up to 6 years in prison for robbery at Saugus ATM

SALEM – A Malden woman who admitted she participated in stealing $200 from a woman as she was withdrawing funds from a drive-up bank machine in Saugus last summer received 2-to-6-years in state prison.Andrea Russo, 27, who last lived at 86 Winchester St., changed her plea from innocent to guilty Wednesday afternoon to a charge of unarmed robbery before Judge Howard J. Whitehead in Salem Superior Court.A 22-year-old woman from Gloucester told authorities it was around 11 p.m. on Aug. 4 when she was withdrawing funds from a Bank of America ATM located at 1093 Broadway in Saugus, when a woman, later identified as Russo, approached asking directions.As the victim was taking her $200 from the machine, Russo started yelling at her, saying she had AIDS and then snatched the money from the victim’s hand, fleeing from the scene in an older model green Honda Civic, driven by her co-conspirator, Joseph Correale.The holdup was captured on the bank’s surveillance camera.They were arrested a few days later following an investigation.Assistant District Attorney John B. Brennan asked for a more severe punishment of three to four years in state prison based on the facts and nature of the case.Defense lawyer Mark Schmidt urged the court to be lenient, suggesting 18 months to two years in prison.The judge agreed to credit Russo with the 245 days she has spent in jail awaiting trial on the case.Correale, 38, also of Malden, pleaded to his role in the case in April and is currently serving 18 months to two years in state prison.