MANHATTAN CRIMINAL COURT — A 62-year-old career bank robber, arrested for attempting to rob three more banks just days after being paroled, says he isn't planning to retire anytime soon.
Leon Cole, paroled Aug. 3 after serving his fifth prison stint for his bank robbing habit, quickly found himself back in cuffs. He was arraigned Thursday on attempted robbery charges for unsuccessfully demanding cash from three Midtown banks in a single day — plus a McDonald's.
"I rob banks for money, I like robbing banks," Cole told authorities after his arrest for trying to hold up Midtown branches of Bank of America, PNC Bank and Emigrant Savings Bank in quick succession Wednesday morning, according to court documents.
"I've been robbing banks for 25 years, I'll probably get a deal from the judge and get out soon," Cole continued. "I may have one more robbery in me."
Cole allegedly handed a note that read "I have a gun, give me all your $5.00, $10.00, $20.00" to a teller at the Bank of America at 115 W. 42nd St. about 9:30 Wednesday morning.
When the teller refused, he zipped out of the bank, and just 25 minutes later, he hit up the PNC Bank at 11 Penn Plaza. He tried the same note there and got the same result.
Undaunted, he headed straight to the Emigrant Savings Bank at 371 Seventh Ave., and he again ran out empty-handed.
Cops nabbed him a few hours later — in front of another bank.
Cole was released from prison Aug. 3 after serving less than two years of a one-to-three-year sentence for robbing a bank in Manhattan in 2010.
He was also charged this week with attempting to unsuccessfully rob a McDonald's on Monday — with the same note.
He is being held on $50,000 bail.