Bail set at $7,500 for suspected Saugus bank robber, second man held on $2G

SAUGUS – A Malden man and a Revere man are in jail after a Thursday afternoon bank robbery in Saugus, according to records from Lynn District Court.Joseph Barberi, 34, of 78 Mills St., Malden, was arrested and charged with unarmed robbery and intimidate to steal from depository, according to court records, while Robert Matthis, 31, of 418 Revere Beach Parkway, Revere, was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact (bank robbery).A press release from Saugus Assistant Chief Ronald Giorgetti said Barberi is also responsible for robberies of the Bank of America in Saugus on Jan. 8, a TD Bank in Revere on Dec. 28 and a Citizens Bank in Malden on Dec. 21.Court records state that Barberi admitted to robbing other banks in the area after he was arrested.Judge James Wexler ordered Barberi held on $7,500 cash bail and ordered Matthis held on $2,000 cash bail at their arraignment on Friday.Both men were sent to Middleton Jail and are due back in court on Feb. 19.According to police reports, the East Boston Savings Bank at 317 Main St. was robbed Thursday at 2:30 p.m. by a man who passed a note to the teller demanding money.According to a witness statement, the note said, “No dye packs, large bills.” The witness said the suspect folded the money into a newspaper and left.A witness who lives in the area reported a suspicious man banging on his door, said the report. The witness told police he didn’t open the door, but watched the man leave in a white Subaru wagon. The witness gave police a license plate number of the suspected getaway car, which was registered to a Melrose woman, who told police she had lent the car to Matthis, said the report.Police tracked the Subaru to Matthis’ Revere Beach Parkway address, and after knocking on the door to the mobile home at lot 21B, the report states they discovered Matthis inside with Barberi’s father, Peter Barberi. The report states police showed Peter Barberi bank surveillance photos of the suspect, and he identified the suspect as his son Joseph Barberi.Police arrested Matthis and took the Subaru to the Saugus Police station. The report states investigators could see remnants of red dye from the exploding dye pack inside the car. Police evidence photos show dozens of $5 and $10 bills, many of which were charred and stained red from the exploding dye pack.The Saugus Police log also states a caller on Oaklandvale Avenue reported money “all over the road covered in red dye.”According to the report, Matthis told police he got the Subaru from the Melrose woman before picking up Joseph Barberi. Matthis admitted to driving Joseph Barberi to Saugus and parking in an unknown driveway on the Lynn Fells Parkway.Matthis said he didn’t know Joseph Barberi robbed the bank until he saw him run across the Lynn Fells Parkway and get into the car, where the dye pack then exploded, said the report.Matthis told police he “freaked out” and drove away fast to his home in Revere, said the report.At 8 p.m., Saugus and Malden police went to Joseph Barberi’s home in Malden and found him “exiting the rear door” at 78 Mills St., said the report. Police arrested him and took him back to the Saugus Police station.The report state Joseph Barberi admitted that he robbed the East Boston Savings Bank and acknowledged that surveillance photos from the bank were of him. The report states Joseph Barberi also admitted to robbing other banks in the area.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].