SUFFOLK GRAND JURY INDICTS “ONE-MAN CRIME WAVE” Feb. 18, 2009 A Suffolk County grand jury today returned a 10-count indictment charging a Mattapan man with a rash of armed robberies throughout the holiday season in Boston’s Back Bay and South End, including two for which he was not previously charged, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced. PRESTON JACKSON (D.O.B. 10/31/65) faces arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court early next month for the charges, which carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. Jackson is currently held on $95,000 cash bail. Jackson was charged with six offenses in early January following his arrest by Boston Police. In the course of an extensive grand jury investigation led by Assistant District Attorney Amy Galatis of Conley’s Senior Trial Unit, prosecutors developed additional evidence linking Jackson to additional robberies on Dec. 23 and 24 for which he had not been charged. “From every source – whether it’s witness testimony, surveillance video, or the assailant’s own notes – the evidence paints this defendant as a one-man crime wave,” Conley said. A pattern became clear when looking at the robberies, Conley said. Jackson apparently selected retail stores and cafes with large, plate glass windows facing the street. Each cashier at the victimized establishment was in his or her mid-20s or younger, and each location was robbed after dark. While inside the establishments, Conley said, Jackson was scrupulous in not touching anything. Jackson is now charged with the following incidents: 1. A Dec. 18 robbery at the Finagle-A-Bagel on Boylston Street in which he made off with about $600; 2. A Dec. 21 robbery at Chemistry on Newbury Street in which he made off with about $600; 3. A Dec. 23 robbery at Footstock on Newbury Street in which he made off with about $285; 4. A Dec. 24 robbery at CVS on Longwood Avenue in which he made off with about $200; 5. A Dec. 26 robbery at Dependable Cleaners on Newbury Street in which he made off with about $230; 6. A Dec. 27 robbery at Darque Tan on Huntington Avenue in which he made off with about $115; 7. A Dec. 29 robbery at the Starbucks on Brookline Avenue in which he made off with an unknown amount of cash after handing a note stating “Give me the money and no one gets shot,” which the barista assumed was a coffee order and read aloud to her co-worker; and 8. A Jan. 3 attempted robbery at Bon Bon on Massachusetts Avenue that was defused when a quick-thinking clerk pointed out the multiple security cameras in the establishment and told the assailant that robbing the store would be “a really bad idea.” Just as previous victims had, the cashier on duty during the final incident called police after the suspect left the store and gave a detailed description of the man who robbed her. Responding Boston Police arrived moments later, searched the area, and soon spotted him near the Hynes Convention Center MBTA station. As he was being taken into custody, Jackson allegedly dropped a note reading, “Give me the money quietly and no one will be shot.” It was that note that he allegedly passed to the final victim but took back after she convinced him not to rob her store. The Dec. 23 and Dec. 24 robberies were linked to Jackson after his arrest and arraignment in Boston Municipal Court. Employees of those establishments were among the 18 separate witnesses to testify during the grand jury investigation. Conley said the law allows for armed robbery charges even though no witness saw a gun in Jackson’s hand. “The use of notes threatening gun violence in these cases plainly supports the charges,” he said. A map of the robberies’ dates and locations can be found online by clicking here. Return to the Press Releases page.