Learn from his mistake: If you rob a bank, try not to leave a photo ID behind on the counter

A federal grand jury this week indicted Kenneth Denny, 60, for allegedly holding up a Brighton Center bank with a phony bomb.

Although the faux-bombe was enough to convince a teller to hand Denny some $4,000 in cash, he never got a chance to spend any of it, according to an affidavit by an FBI agent: As he completed his transaction, Denny allegedly left his wallet, containing a photo ID, on the counter, and a Boston cop who'd spotted him nearby on the way into the bank recognized his photo and he was quickly swarmed and arrested.

The affidavit describes the government's version of what happened:

On July 24, 2015, at approximately 1:23 p.m., an individual entered the Citizens Bank located at 414 Washington Street, Brighton, Massachusetts. The individual approached a teller and handed her a note demanding money and removed an item, which appeared to be an explosive device,l from a folded newspaper he had been carrying. The individual placed the explosive device on the teller's counter and stated, "Give me the money, big bills, no small bills." The individual stated that the explosive device was real and would explode if the teller did not give him the money. The individual then handed the teller a white plastic bag and told her to fill it with money. The teller removed $4,040.00 in US currency from her drawer, placed it into the white plastic bag, and handed the white plastic bag back to the individual. The individual then retrieved the demand note, left the explosive device on the teller's counter, and turned to exit the bank .. As the individual was heading towards the exit, the bank manager approached him and asked him if he needed any assistance. The individual then dropped the white plastic bag containing the bank's money, turned, held up a cell phone, and stated "I am going to blow it up." The individual then exited the bank onto Washington street.

The bank manager followed the individual as he exited the bank onto Washington Street and observed the individual discard the hat and the wig he had been wearing onto Washington Street. The bank manager continued following the individual and observed him take a right onto Dighton Street. At this point the bank manager broke off chase, retrieved the discarded wig and hat, and returned to the bank.

Following the robbery it was determined that the individual who had robbed the bank had left a wallet on the counter of the teller's station. Law enforcement opened the wallet and observed a Massachusetts Identification Card which contained a photograph. The name on the identification card was Kenneth E. Denny. A member of law enforcement noted that while en route to the robbery he had observed an individual who looked similar to the person depicted on the Massachusetts Identification Card in the vicinity of the bank. The officer recalled that that person was wearing a gray t-shirt, shorts, dark socks and black dress shoes.

Law enforcement left the bank and located the person they had observed walking away from the bank a few minutes earlier. The person was wearing a gray t-shirt and shorts. However, the person was now wearing gray slip-on shoes and was not wearing socks. The person was asked what his name was and he replied "Kenneth Denny." Denny was detained and brought back to the bank for a line-up.

If convicted, Denny faces up to 25 years in prison.

Innocent, etc.