RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Michael Francis Mara was so mild-mannered that authorities say he looked like somebody's granddaddy — and yet he has admitted to being a "monster."
This week, the so-called "Granddad Bandit" — who often claimed to be a heroic paramedic — met a day of reckoning.
The 53-year-old Mara pleaded guilty Thursday to two Virginia bank robberies and admitted to two dozen more heists in 14 states.
Mara has not spoken publicly since his arrest last August in Louisiana. But court documents obtained by The Associated Press and interviews with those who know him show Mara duped people into believing he was one of the good guys. However, he has a criminal record dating to when he was 19 years old.
© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.