Addiction News

Drug Addiction Drives Bank Robber to Attempt Escape in Taxi

A drug addiction can make a person do strange things – including robbing a bank while using a taxi as the get-away car. One would guess the taxi driver was less than impressed when the dye bag exploded in his vehicle.

According to a report in the NH Register, Brian Powelson claimed he had a drug abuse problem that seemed to rear its ugly head every time he was released from jail. As a result of his most recent offense, he will spend 10 years in jail.

Powelson pleaded guilty in this case, admitting he passed a note to the teller and made off with the cash. This particular process is not nearly as notable as the fact that his taxi was waiting outside, driven by a man who simply thought his fare was doing bank business.

Once the dye bag exploded, Powelson took off on foot, the cab driver yelling as he fled. A quick change of clothes in a bathroom enabled him to walk into the Café George by Paula, order a grape soda, pay for it and walk out the door. His activities did not blend as he hoped, however, as police were waiting for him and arrested him in the alley.

Serving time for robbery is really nothing new for Powelson and is apparently not enough to turn him away from his drug addiction. In 2006, he was convicted of robbing two banks on the same day and leading police on two high-speed chases.

His crimes also included stealing the van of a fellow citizen who had stopped to help him after his car flipped in between high-speed pursuits.