Police Arrest Suspect in NBT Bank Robbery

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police have arrested suspect in the armed robbery of NBT Bnak last fall. 
 
Christopher Oliveri, 51, of Milford was taken into custody near his home Wednesday morning. He was to be arraigned in Worcester District Court on the arrest warrant for the NBT Bank robbery and charges related to the illegal possession of a firearm found during his arrest.
 
Oliveri will later be transported to the Central Berkshire District Court for arraignment on charges of armed and masked robbery and two counts of firearm/armed kidnapping.
 
The bank branch at 609 Merrill Road was robbed on Nov. 29, 2023, shortly before 5 p.m. The suspect entered the bank while masked, displayed a firearm, and demanded cash. He then demanded the tellers lock the bank, close the blinds, and open the vault. The tellers were ordered to sit on the floor and had their hands zip-tied in front of them. Robber removed cash from the vault and cash drawers of both the tellers. 
 
He fled the bank with a total of approximately $143,960. The tellers were able to free themselves
from the restraints and call 911. No injuries were reported.
 
Investigators began looking for Oliveri, who they said drove a white Nissan Pathfinder rental vehicle to to the Pittsfield area from Milford and then returned home. 
 
Evidence related to the robbery was obtained and an arrest warrant for Oliveri and a search warrant for his residence in Milford were sought by investigators. They planned to execute the warrants in Milford but, early this morning, they saw Oliveri walking from the direction of his residence and followed him for a short distance. Investigators said they were able to take him into custody on the arrest warrant and, during a search, found that he was armed with a black revolver, a different firearm than that used during the robbery.
 
A search warrant was then executed on his residence and evidence related to the NBT Bank robbery was recovered. This evidence included clothing, equipment/bags/items used, a firearm similar to the one used in the robbery and a large amount of cash totaling approximately $112,700.
 
Additional charges for items discovered during the search warrant for his residence in Milford will be filed at a later date.
 
This investigation was conducted by members of the Pittsfield Police and Detective Bureau, Digital Forensic Evidence Unit, and Drug Unit, State Police troopers assigned to the Berkshire Law Enforcement Task Force of the Berkshire District Attorney's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hampden County Sheriff's Department and Milford Police Department.

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Pittsfield Considers Repairing East Part Cemetery

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Historical Commission will consider grant opportunities for repairs to East Part Cemetery.

A resident reached out to the city with concerns about degradation in the half-acre burial ground at the top of Williams Street. East Part Cemetery was established in the early 1800s and has about 300 interments. 

“It's a nice old cemetery, and basically, (the resident) had had concerns that the stone wall had taken some damage, the gravestones have taken some damage, and was wondering if there's anything that could be done to repair the gravestones and the wall," City Planner Kevin Rayner told the commission on Monday.

In cooperation with cemetery leadership and residents, the Historical Commission will consider applying for Community Preservation Act funds to support repairs. West Part Cemetery, on the other side of Pittsfield, has previously used CPA funds for revitalization work. 

The 1080 Williams St. property is owned by the city and managed by the Pittsfield Cemetery Commission. Rayner presented photos of broken and overgrown gravestones, parts of the stone wall collapsing, and knocked-over obelisks. 

Some aspects could use general maintenance and restoration, he observed. 

According to the Pittsfield Cemetery and Crematory's website, East Part Cemetery was established around 1808 on land owned by Nathan Webb, who permitted and authorized its use as a public burying ground.  

In 1842, Nathan Webb's son, also named Nathan Webb, deeded the property to the Methodist Episcopal Society of Pittsfield as a public burying ground, and in 1893 the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Society transferred their control of the cemetery to the Proprietors of the Pittsfield Cemetery. Their action was confirmed by the Berkshire Probate Court.

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