Police Say Bank Robber From Old Lyme Has Done It Again

On June 27, Connecticut State Police Major Crime Detectives executed three bank robbery arrest warrants on Kenneth Buckingham, 50, formerly of Old Lyme, as he was appearing at Middletown Superior Court.

Buckingham, who is currently incarcerated at Corrigan Correctional Center, was charged with robbing the following banks in the State Police Troop F geographical area: Liberty Bank in Haddam on March 1, 2013, TD Bank in Durham on April 16, 2013, and the First Niagara Bank in Westbrook on May 20, 2013.

According to the New London Day, Buckingham has a history of robbing banks in Centerbrook, East Lyme, and Salem. He was arrested in 2007 after police laid in wait for him at a bank in East Lyme in a bid to catch him.

While in prison, Buckingham became a jailhouse informant, providing testimony that led to the conviction of two murderers.  The Day reports that by providing testimony in those two trials, Buckingham had hoped for leniency when it came time for his own sentencing.

In 2011, he was sentenced to 75 months with 13 years of special parole in 2011. He had already served the bulk of that time by then. 

During the course of these criminal investigations, State Police Detectives executed several search and seizure warrants on hotel room and vehicles.  State Police Detectives worked in conjunction with personnel from Troop F, EDMC, Probation, FBI, and various local police departments during the course of these robberies.

Buckingham was charged with three counts of Robbery in the First Degree, three counts of Larceny in the Third Degree, and three counts of Threatening in the Second Degree.

Buckingham will be held on bonds totaling $450,000. State Police Detectives anticipate filing additional charges in relation to an additional bank robbery of the Chelsea Groton Bank in Salem on January 17 of this year.