By Jennifer Marino
The five counts involve robberies at Fleet banks in East Rockaway, Jericho and Merrick, an HSBC Bank in Great Neck and a State Bank of Long Island in Garden City South.
Trantel, 38, who lives on Windsor Avenue in Rockville Centre, was arrested on Nov. 28 at 12:40 p.m. on South Lewis Place. Forensic evidence linked Trantel to two of the banks that were robbed, according to Detective Sgt. Gary Schriffen of the Nassau County Police robbery squad.
The police are looking into 10 robberies, including the five that Trantel has been charged with. As the investigation continues, police believe he will be linked to the other five robberies, according to Schriffen. Those occurred at the same Fleet Bank in Merrick, Fleet branches in Lynbrook, Glen Cove and Island Park and an Astoria Federal Savings in East Rockaway.
The most recent robbery in which Trantel was charged occurred on Nov. 21 at the Fleet branch on Merrick Road in Merrick, which was also the site of the first robbery, last July 11.
According to police reports, Trantel entered the banks and presented a note stating that he had a gun and demanding money. Witnesses never actually saw the gun he claimed to have, and no one was injured during any of the robberies. Trantel reportedly wore latex gloves, and brought his own bag to carry away the proceeds. On at least two occasions, he wore a fake mustache and beard. He was seen fleeing the scenes on foot, but police believe he used his own vehicle, a 1995 GMC Suburban, to get away.
Trantel usually selected banks without bulletproof glass separating tellers from customers. The exact amount stolen has not been disclosed because of the ongoing investigation.
Trantel was arraigned Nov. 29 in First District Court in Hempstead.
